


“Nice to meet you, Jimmy boy.”

by FeralCreed



Series: Tumblr Prompts [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), MCU, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alpha!Bucky, Alpha!Steve, Clubbing, F/M, M/M, Modern AU, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tumblr Prompt, a/b/o au, alpha!Tiberius, brief derogatory language, gratuitous cursing, omega!Tony, winteriron
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-08
Updated: 2016-10-13
Packaged: 2018-05-31 23:49:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 44,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6492661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeralCreed/pseuds/FeralCreed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For dreamcatchersdaughter on tumblr who asked - "Prompt? ^^ Winteriron modern AU Steve and Bucky out clubbing cause Bucky is trying to find Steve a date, when the vision of this beautiful Omega (Tony obviously) reels him in. Please and thank." I got in the modern AU and clubbing parts. Not quite sure how the A/B/O part went, but I tried.</p><p>Bucky takes Steve out clubbing in an attempt to get him a date. Instead he runs into a gorgeous omega who goes by Tony. Unfortunately Tony is already claimed by an alpha, a cranky drunk who's less than happy to have "his" omega talking to two stranger alphas. Things are less than easy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Steve, you ready?” Bucky yells. “Come on, hurry up.”

 

“Why are you so insistent that we go out?” Steve asks, slouching in the doorway of Bucky's bedroom.

 

“Because a smoking hot pair of alphas like ourselves shouldn't be staying in on the weekends. And you need to find yourself someone that you like. Can't stay alone forever, Stevie. So, you ready?”

 

“If you insist we have to go.”

 

“Yes, I insist.”

 

“Fine,” Steve grumbles, but he's already dressed and grinning a little. Bucky grabs his wrist and drags him out of their apartment to the street. “Are we walking or taking my bike?”

 

“Let's walk. It's not too far from here.”

 

“Trashy dive?”

 

“Considering the neighbourhood we live in? Definitely at least a little.”

 

“Very trashy,” Steve says after a fifteen-minute walk. The bass from the club's sound system is almost shaking the gravel in the parking lot, and there's a fairly loud noise level inside from people talking – well, trying to yell over the music. Steve glares at Bucky, because this is an all new level of trashiness, even for a guy who likes to find crappy clubs where he can flirt with questionable people.

 

“Promise it'll be fun.” Bucky grins at him like he knows exactly what Steve is thinking.

 

“Yeah, if I can still hear after all this is over.”

 

“Drama queen.”

 

“Am not!” Steve protests. He grumbles as Bucky drags him into the club, but he looks interested in the place despite his poor opinion of it. Once they're inside, Bucky lets go of Steve's wrist but the blond stays close anyway, looking a bit out of place but trying.

 

“Well, hello, sweetheart,” Bucky says with a grin. The girl he's looking at is an omega but definitely Steve's type. Unfortunately it's only a minute before an alpha comes over, putting his arm around her waist and glaring at Bucky and Steve to tell them to back off. Bucky shrugs a little and moves on, waving a hand for Steve to come with him.

 

They end up standing at the bar, Steve with some kind of house special and Bucky with a glass of vodka. Steve still looks a little awkward but Bucky is busy chatting with people in an attempt to find him a date. Eventually Steve shoos him off to do what he likes, and Bucky takes his drink with him to wander through the club, this time looking for someone for himself.

 

Even though the crowd is full of eligible people, it takes a little while for Bucky to notice someone attractive. Once he does see someone, he can't help but stare. The guy is certainly attractive – he's a little older than Bucky but he's fit, with dark hair, olive skin, and eyes that are an intoxicating mix of amber and onyx. “What's a nice fella like you doing in a place like this?” he asks, just barely getting into the man's personal space. If he wants him gone, it'll be easy for him to push him away, but Bucky's kind of counting on his own attractiveness to keep the guy interested.

 

“Someone done me wrong,” the man replies, but he sounds and looks like he's teasing, so Bucky laughs.

 

“Well, if you're looking for someone to do you right, let me introduce myself. James, but my friends call me Bucky.”

 

“Nice to meet you, Jimmy boy.” The man smirks when Bucky rolls his eyes at the name. “I'm Tony.”

 

“Very pleased to make your acquaintance,” Bucky says, shifting his weight toward the other man. “Let me refill what you're drinking?”

 

“Only if you let me repay the favour.”

 

“I might be persuaded. So, tell me. What are you drinking?”

 

Tony shrugs, raising one shoulder. “I don't know. Why don't you take a guess?”

 

“Hmm, let me see. Something classy and expensive, for a fella like you. Top shelf and strong. Domestic but with an exotic flavour. Am I close?”

 

“Right on target,” Tony tells him, sounding a little stunned. “Well, since you're so smart, I guess I'll have to let you get me a drink.”

 

Bucky gets the name of Tony's drink and orders a refill. The bartender slides over another vodka without being asked, and Bucky smiles at him in thanks. “So,” he says with a grin. “Gonna do me the honour of sticking around for a little while?”

 

“Maybe so.” Tony is an intelligent and sarcastic person, and soon he and Bucky are in the middle of an intriguing conversation. They talk for a solid half an hour before Tony glances over Bucky's shoulders and stiffens slightly. “I think it's about time for me to take my leave,” he says, offering a little smile. “For now, anyway. I'll likely be here for a while, if you get bored.” He puts a hand on Bucky's shoulder and leans in close enough that he can talk quietly in his ear. “Nice meeting you, Buck.”

 

“Same to you,” Bucky says, unable to keep a note of admiration out of his voice as he watches Tony leave. The man looks pretty damn good as he's walking away, even if there's a hint of tenseness in his shoulders.

 

He wanders off after that. There's a few chicks that try to chat him up, and a guy or two. Bucky does his best to pay attention, but half the time he's at least a little distracted by watching Tony or looking for him. Steve reappears for a little while, an omega woman on his arm that seems to be genuinely interested in him. All three of them talk for a while before Steve and the woman disappear.

 

Maybe Bucky's efforts have paid off, but it's just as likely that some asshole was groping her and Steve's taken it upon himself to protect her for the night. Usually when Bucky tries to get Steve a partner, that's what happens. Bucky can't even find it within himself to be irritated. Stevie has always had the biggest heart of anyone he's ever met. And if he wants to keep protecting people instead of taking the time to find someone for himself, Bucky will smack him upside the head once or twice, but support him all the way.

 

For once, though, Steve seems to genuinely return the interest in the girl. She's definitely flirting with him, and as of yet, there isn't anyone glaring at them in a way to suggest that Steve is keeping her away from someone. Maybe tonight will be the first night in forever that doesn't end with Bucky pulling Steve out of some fight. It would almost take a miracle, but Bucky has faith in his punk. So far, that faith hasn't done much for him, but there's always hope. Not much chance that Steve will stop fighting, but hope.

 

And besides, they've been here for hours. The bartender is probably going to be shouting last call in an hour or so. Steve is still with the girl he picked up, and last time Bucky saw them, they were looking pretty friendly at a corner table of the club. It made Bucky glance around for Tony, but he didn't notice him anywhere, although Bucky guessed it was because of the inconsistent lighting and crowded room rather than anything else. He shrugs it off and goes to find one of the girls that had been flirting with him earlier. One of them shows up in a few minutes, and it doesn't take long for Bucky to get her focus on him. While their conversation can't compare to the one he was having with Tony, it's interesting enough that he keeps his attention on her.

 

Someone runs into him from behind and Bucky growls in protest. “Watch it,” he snaps, glancing back over his shoulder. He promptly blinks in surprise, because the dude facing him is not what he was expecting. Despite the fact that he almost knocked Bucky over, he doesn't look plastered. In fact, the totally hammered blond who's all but fallen on top of him looks responsible. Reeking of alpha hormones, just as the short, dark-haired man supporting him is obviously an omega. And, surprisingly, it's Tony. From the way he'd been talking earlier, Bucky would have assumed he was a beta at the least.

 

“Watch it yourself,” the blond guy snarls back, his eyes narrowing. He's looking at Bucky like he considers him to be either an antagonist or prey, but either way, he seems like he's searching for a fight. And if he keeps acting this way, Bucky is going to be happy to deliver.

 

“I'm not the not the one ramming into people while drunk,” Bucky replies coolly.

 

“Guess what, pretty boy, you're not the one I'm gonna be ramming tonight.” The blond tightens his grip on the omega's waist, who winces a bit.

 

“Hey, Ty, lighten up a bit.” Tony jokes, but his voice holds a slight, wavering hint of uncertainty, and Bucky can't help get a slight sense that something might be wrong for Tony to seem nervous.

 

Apparently the blond's name is Ty. He chuckles and doesn't bother doing as his omega requested. It actually looks like he grips Tony's waist a little harder, which makes Bucky frown a bit. “Now, now, Tony boy, _I'm_ the one who's the alpha here. So be a good little bitch for me, omega.” He snaps the insult and Tony winces at his tone.

 

“Lay off him,” Bucky orders. Sure, it's not his place to get involved in an alpha/omega dispute, but just because this Ty fellow is drunk off his ass doesn't mean that he can boss around his omega like that. Besides, Bucky can tell that the two of them aren't mated. Which is a good thing as far as Bucky is concerned.

 

“Gonna make me?” Ty demands, sneering at him. “You can try.” His hand slides up Tony's spine and grabs the back of his neck in a harsh, possessive grip that looks like it's capable of bruising if he doesn't move. “Find another omega. This one belongs to me.”

 

“Somehow I doubt that he belongs to anyone,” Bucky retorts. “Let go of him!” They've been talking a little louder than normal just so they can be heard over the music, but now Bucky's voice is far sharper and vehement than necessary for any conversation. He might have been discharged from the military a few years ago, but he still knows how to make his tone threatening.

 

Ty laughs in his face. “It's sweet that you think you can make me do anything. Get lost, brat. Unless you want to try to take it for yourself, this ass is my exclusive property.”

 

Bucky smirks a little. So the idiot _is_ looking for a fight. Well, third time's the charm, and this Ty fellow just made three mistakes. He started mistreating his omega, he all but invited Bucky to take a swing at him, and he acted like he thought Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes would let anyone be someone's property. And since the jackass asked so politely, Bucky drives his fist into the guy's face as hard as he can.

 

Ty howls in pain and staggers backward. “You fucking bastard!” He's holding his nose in both hands and barely capable of keeping his balance. Bucky's blow knocked him far back enough that he lost his hold on Tony, who looks uncertain about whether or not he's supposed to help his alpha. “I'm gonna- Christ, that hurt!”

 

“It was supposed to hurt,” Bucky snarls at him, sticking his finger in Ty's face. “Just because Tony's an omega doesn't mean you have any right to talk to him like that.”

 

“Maybe you missed the part where that omega belongs to me,” Ty yells at him. The people who were standing nearby had started clearing away when Bucky punched him, but now everyone's standing back. “He's mine and I'm not letting him go!”

 

Bucky lunges at him and punches him again. “He's not yours,” he shouts back, standing between him and Tony. “Leave him alone.”

 

“Just chill out,” Tony insists, tugging at his arm. Bucky takes half a step back and looks at him, quizzical. He can see Steve walking toward him out of the corner of his eye, because of course every little fight attracts him like iron filings to a supermagnet. “Ty's my alpha. I'm gonna go with him. Everything's fine.” While Bucky's still staring at him, stunned, Tony slips around him and approaches Ty.

 

“We're going, now,” Ty informs him. Tony almost staggers under his weight when the blond suddenly leans on him.

 

“Okay,” Tony agrees.

 

“Bucky, what's going on?” Steve asks, stepping forward. The girl he was flirting with before is standing behind them, but everyone else has mostly cleared out. Security's starting to take notice of what's going on, and a few of them are coming over.

 

“If you could please explain this situation, sir,” one of the security men says.

 

“This fucking _alpha_ is abusing the omega he tried to claim,” Bucky tells him, furious at Ty.

 

“I am his omega,” Tony protests quietly.

 

“You don't owe him anything,” Bucky tells him.

 

“Hold on,” Ty protests. “What kind of alpha are you? You can't just try to take someone's omega away from them.”

 

“Should that alpha be an abusive bastard, then I most certainly can,” Bucky snaps back. In a way, Ty's right. Propositioning another alpha's omega is practically illegal, even if the couple isn't bonded. Most people would consider Bucky to be way out of line, and he knows that, but these aren't typical circumstances. Ty's behaviour is far more unacceptable than Bucky's. Abusing an omega is a serious breach. “And if Tony wants to get away from him, Steve and I are both alphas and we're both willing to protect him.”

 

“That's right,” Steve says instantly. Even though he didn't have any warning about what Bucky had in mind – and neither did Bucky until he said it – he sounds like he really is an alpha who's ready and able to protect an omega that needs his help. While that is, technically, the role of any responsible alpha, a good number of them would rather step aside than take on a dependent.

 

“ _I'm_ his alpha,” Ty snaps. He yanks at Tony to make him leave, but for what's probably the first time, Tony pulls back. “What are you doing? You're _my_ omega.”

 

“No,” Tony refuses. He steps back, crossing his arms across his chest. Even though he's clearly uncomfortable with refusing his alpha, he's obviously determined to do it. “You don't take care of me right, Ty. I doubt you ever wanted me apart from what you thought you could use me for.”

 

“Why else would I want you? Sex and spilling your daddy's secrets are all you're good for.” Ty spits on the floor, ignoring the way Tony flinched back at the criticism but smirking cruelly when Tony takes a step back, his arms tightening across his stomach. “You can try running all you want, but I'm going to come for you sooner or later.”

 

“You're never getting me back,” Tony tells him. “I didn't stay away the last time I said I was leaving, but this time it's for good. They're going to take care of me. More than you ever did.”

 

“Are you such a slut that you need two cocks filling you up?” Ty snaps. “Cause I should've known. I should have ditched you a long time ago.”

 

“Back off,” Steve orders. “He doesn't want you any more. So you're going to leave him alone.”

 

“Like you could make me.”

 

“Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave,” one of the security guards said. “This omega has declared his independence from you. You're no longer welcome here.”

 

Rather than obeying, Ty steps forward and lashes out, punching Tony hard enough that almost falls. He staggers back wildly, unable to catch his balance, and if it weren't for Bucky stepping forward to catch him, he would have fallen flat on his back. At the moment, it's impossible to tell if the blow made him bleed, because Ty's hand had been bloody even before he struck and the red smeared across Tony's face may or may not be his.

 

“Hey, s'okay, I got you,” Bucky says quietly. When he caught Tony, he'd automatically grabbed him around the waist, and now that they're both steady on their feet, he shifts his grip to be protective. Tony leans back into the touch like it's an automatic reaction to any offer of comfort. “I'll protect you,” he reassures him, his chin hovering over Tony's shoulder.

 

Ty seems intent on testing that theory. He charges them, and Bucky realizes in a rush of panic that he can't shove Tony out of the way in time. Even though he can't hear much over the blood and adrenaline pounding in his ears, he can feel the shorter man stiffen and suck in a breath as Ty attacks. Instead of trying to push Tony out of the line of fire, Bucky whirls Tony around, curling himself around the omega so he'll take the blunt of Ty's hit himself.

 

Steve gets there first. He was standing behind Bucky and Tony a second ago, but it only takes him a second to dart past them. Bucky can practically see the protectiveness rolling off him. Tony gets dragged around a bit as Bucky turns to watch, but the omega looks equally interested in what's happening. He also seems surprised that someone would put themselves in danger for his sake, which only makes Bucky feel as protective as Steve's acting.

 

Ty's drunk and Steve was in an elite military unit. It only takes seconds for Steve to knock Ty halfway across the floor with a series of punches. Steve kicks him full in the chest as a dramatic finale, and the bloodied alpha wrecks a table as he falls to the ground. Even though the defeated man seems totally out of it from the beating he got, Steve stands over him and thrusts his finger at him as he speaks.

 

“You're going to stay away from that omega. He's under my protection and Bucky's. If you ever try to hurt him again, it'll be the last mistake you have the chance to make. Do you understand me?” Steve's visibly furious, as if his words and tone didn't totally give that away. Ty just groans in response and Steve just walks away from him. “Are you all right?” he asks Tony.

 

“I-” Tony is staring at him like he has three heads. “You protected me.”

 

“Course I did. That's my duty as a person, never mind as an alpha that's promised to protect you.”

 

“Let's go, huh, Tony?” Bucky asks. “We're gonna get you home.”

 

“He's gonna kill me if I show up again after this,” Tony mutters, half to Bucky and half to himself.

 

“No, no, no,” Bucky soothes him. “Our home. The apartment Steve and I have. We said we were going to protect you, and we'd be doing a damn bad job of that if we left you at Ty's place or out on your own. If you need somewhere to stay, we'll take you.”

 

“Actually, that... That would be great. My dad's in Malibu. Now that I'm not Ty's any more, I don't have anyone else to go to, but he might take me in.”

 

“Ty never owned you,” Bucky reassures him. “C'mon. You can call your dad if you want to go to him.”

 

“Uh, I don't have a phone,” Tony admits as Bucky steers him toward the coat room and the exit. Behind them, the club's patrons are starting to get back into the rhythm of things, and security is escorting Ty to the manager's office. “Ty threw mine at the wall last week during a fight and it broke.”

 

“Of course he did,” Steve mutters. “We'll get you a new one tomorrow. For now, let's just get you back home.” He collects all three of their coats; Ty had taken Tony's stub but the omega had memorized the number in the brief glimpse of the ticket that he'd had. Since his wallet and I.D. were in the coat pocket, the desk clerk was fine with giving it to him.

 

Bucky holds the coat up for Tony, smoothing it over his back and shoulders. “Good?” he asks. Tony nods at him, smiling a little. Although he isn't certain, Bucky would say the shock of what happened is starting to get to him. Omegas don't just walk away from their alphas, especially not to immediately run off with two other alphas. Very few omegas live independently, since education and employment opportunities mostly go to alphas and betas, in that order.

 

Even though there are omegas that can fend for themselves, it isn't often done. So if things don't work out with Tony's dad, he'll be relying on Bucky and Steve until he finds either employment or an alpha. While plenty of omegas prefer to just let their alpha take care of them, Bucky is pretty sure that Tony is the kind of omega that's independent. Given that he had memorized a number he'd only seen for a few seconds, he was obviously intelligent, and he'd been brave enough to chat with a strange alpha while his own abusive partner was in the area. Bucky's already intrigued by him.

 

“Let's go,” Steve murmurs. Bucky wraps an arm around Tony's ribs once they're outside and walking down the sidewalk, holding him but giving him enough room to freely move on his own. Steve puts a hand between Tony's shoulderblades, rubbing a circle against the man's back with his thumb. They take almost twice as long getting back home as it took them to walk to the club, but neither one of them mention that or complain. Even though Tony is perfectly capable of keeping pace with their normal speed, the two alphas had agreed to take it slow without saying a word to each other.

 

When they get back to the apartment, Tony sticks close to Bucky as he glances around. Even though he's still scared and exhausted, he's practically radiating curiosity. Bucky feels a little guilty about making him go into the bedroom with the way he's looking around so much, but it's pretty late and Tony's had a rough day.

 

“Does this look good?” Bucky asks, opening the door to his room.

 

“Uh, yeah, yeah, it looks really nice. Love what you've done with the place. It looks great. Really.”

 

“Okay, awesome. I changed the sheets last week, so they're pretty clean. You can just tell me if you need anything else.”

 

“You want me to stay here?” Tony queries, sounding almost stunned. “I can stay on the couch or on the floor or something. No need to do anything special.”

 

“No,” Bucky almost yells at him. He silently curses himself out at the way Tony flinches and takes a step back. “Sorry, I didn't mean to raise my voice,” he apologizes, raising his hands in a placating manner. “I just meant that I wouldn't make you sleep on the couch, much less the floor. You said yourself that Ty didn't treat you like he should have, and I'm not gonna do the same thing. The bed's yours.”

 

“Sorry for second-guessing you,” Tony apologizes.

 

“It's totally fine,” Bucky tells him. “C'mon, I can find you something that you can change into.” He needs a minute to find a set of clothes that will be comfortable enough for Tony to sleep in, since Tony is a size smaller, but he's pretty sure that what he found will work. “You wanna take a shower?”

 

“Uh, yeah, if that's okay with you.”

 

“Definitely.” Bucky motions for Tony to follow him and leads him to the bathroom. He shows the omega where everything is and how to work the shower, then steps back. “Take all the time you need. Steve's probably making hot chocolate or something right now, so you can join us if you want. Or you can just go to bed. Uh, there's a lock on the door, and I'll get my pajamas and phone charger, so I won't need anything. We'll have breakfast in the morning, and then we can talk about what to do next if you want. If that sounds good? Feel free to second-guess and correct me all you want.”

 

“Great. Sounds great. Thank you so much.”

 

“No problem. You needed help, and we could give it to you. Take a shower, 'kay?”

 

“Yeah. Thanks again.”

 

Bucky smiles at him and leaves him to do as he likes. Steve is indeed making hot chocolate, but Bucky only waves at him on his way to his room. It only takes him a minute to change into an old tee and sweatpants. He grabs a change of clothes for tomorrow and his phone charger, so he won't need to bother Tony until the omega wants to get up. There's a few outlets available in the kitchen, and he plugs his phone in next to the stove, placing the device on top of his change of clothes.

 

He and Steve chat as they're in the kitchen. Steve is making hot chocolate from scratch instead of from a packet, so it's taking him a while. Bucky is putting together some snack food, since the two of them always manage to eat a lot. Eventually their topic of conversation turns to Tony.

 

“Are you sure he's not a serial killer or something?” Steve teases.

 

“Steve, behave,” Bucky tells him. “Tony's not dangerous. He's smart, sarcastic, he's funny, and he kept my attention for an entire half an hour. We were talking at the club for a while before everything happened. Actually, he's pretty sweet.”

 

“Tony's 'sweet'?” the blond repeats, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Yes. And don't say my habit of taking strays home is going to get me into trouble. It worked out pretty well with you. Besides, Tony needed our help. Ty was never going to treat him right, and who knew what he did to Tony already. No omega deserves that, and I just hope that Ty doesn't manage to get his claws on anyone else.”

 

“Fine. Tony can stay as long as he needs to.”

 

“Thanks, Stevie. And it's not like you would have done any different.”

 

Steve chuckles. “Yeah, you're right. And it's not like we can't afford to take care of him. Might be a tight fit since there's only two bedrooms, but we'll have plenty of food. Plus, neither one of us would ever hurt him, for any reason. I doubt he has anywhere else to go besides, where did he say, Malibu? With the way he was sticking with an abusive bastard like that Ty fella, maybe he and his dad don't get along well enough for him to go there.”

 

“Whether he has anywhere else to go or not, we can shelter him here as long as he needs.”

 

“Right,” Steve agrees. He moves the hot chocolate off the stove and reaches for the cabinet with the mugs in it. “Think he'll want any?”

 

“I dunno.” Bucky glances over at his bedroom. “Door's still open the way I left it, but the shower's not running. Maybe he'll be out soon. Who knows. He's safe whether he comes out here or not.”

 

A minute later, Tony joins them in the kitchen. He'd been listening in on the alphas from around the corner but he's certainly not going to let them know that. God knows how they'd take that. “Um, hi?” he says quietly.

 

“Hey,” Bucky greets him, pleasant but quiet. “We've got hot chocolate if you want any. You hungry?”

 

“Not really.”  
  


“Well, we've got way too much food, despite how much this jerk eats,” Steve says, holding out a mug of hot chocolate. Tony's hand twitches like he wants to take it but he just drops his gaze. Steve sets the mug on the counter next to him like he hasn't noticed the omega's reluctance. “And Buck overestimated how much he wanted to eat, as always, so he already has the extra stuff out.”

 

“Dude, I could totally eat all of it,” Bucky protests.

 

“Every time we come back from clubbing, you get a plate and a half of food and barely eat the first plate's worth.” Steve grins at him and Bucky snorts in return, swatting at his shoulder.

 

“Hey, you eat more than I do overall, so... Y'know. Anyway, food. Tony, you want anything? We have Pop Tarts, chips, and actual food. Most of it's instant mixes or boxed, but we have it.”

 

“Um, whatever you've got that's extra.”

 

“So, just about any kind of food you'd usually find in a low-budget alpha bachelor apartment. I mean, we have money,” Bucky reassures him. “You don't have to worry about us not being able to take care of you. We just don't really spend a lot of our cash.”

 

“You don't need to be able to take care of me,” Tony tells them. “I can find some way to contact Dad and I'll be out of your way. And I've got some cash in my wallet. Couldn't have much, but it's enough to get me to Malibu.”

 

“We're making sure you get there safe,” Steve informs him. “Don't want to take any chances on Ty finding you before we get you to your father. That's the last thing we'd need.”

 

Tony blinks. “Yeah,” he agrees quietly, sounding worried. Bucky approaches him slowly, telegraphing his intentions. Tony lets himself be embraced, curling into the alpha's touch a little.

 

“I promise that Ty will never touch you again,” Bucky tells him. “Steve and I are gonna keep you safe until we get you to your dad's. He'll keep Ty away from you, right?”

 

“Dad always thought he was trouble. Told me not to get involved with him. But he treated me right, in the beginning, and he was someone I was familiar with. I guess I didn't know him like I thought. And I shouldn't have trusted him.”

 

“Hey, we all make mistakes,” Bucky assures him. “Steve and I have done that plenty of times. You're gonna make more in the future, and so will we. It's part of living and being human.”

 

“Guess it is.”

 

“All right, then. You wanna eat?”

 

“Uh, I guess.”

 

“Cool. Let's crash on the couch,” Steve suggests. The blond carries over his and Bucky's mugs, and Bucky gets the food, letting Tony carry his own mug over. Bucky invites Tony to sit with him, and the omega remains uncertain but docile at his side as Steve finds something on the tv to watch. It seems like the sci-fi movie is the perfect choice to get Tony to relax a little. He ends up leaning against Bucky, and when the alpha puts an arm around his shoulders after tucking him in a blanket, Tony all but melts into his touch.

 

Tony ends up falling asleep while about a third of the movie was left. He doesn't even snore, which is a minor blessing. Despite the fact that he's shorter than Bucky, he's fairly heavy, which he doesn't try to figure out. Once the movie is done, Steve glances over at them and huffs in amusement.

 

“So it looks like he's relaxed.”

 

“Finally. I just hope that that alpha doesn't have any way to track us down.”

 

“Bucky, just because the two of us have connections in top-of-the-line secret government agencies doesn't mean that his old alpha does. That guy was no good trash. And if he has friends, then we have more powerful friends. If that bastard ever shows up around Tony again, he'll regret it. Just get him back to someone he can trust to protect him before you start making eyes at him, Buck. The last thing he needs are two bad alpha experiences in a row.”

 

“I'm not expecting him to submit to me because I did what any decent human would do,” Bucky protests. “But you know that omegas without alphas are thought of even worse than omegas with them. And if he somehow signed some kind of contract or papers or something, that ass could legally force him to go back to him or something. Steve, I'm just scared for him. The fact that he stayed with a trash alpha like Ty makes me worry that he never had an alpha that treated him right.”

 

“Let him settle, Bucky. If he had a chance at being worthy of you in the first place, he won't forget about you just because he's safe with his dad. And if he was mistreated by his past alphas, he might think he owes you if you push him too soon.”

 

“Shit, that's the last thing I want.” Bucky sighs and brushes his fingers through Tony's hair. The omega shifts slightly but remains asleep. “As long as he's safe, he can do whatever he wants. He's definitely attractive and I'd like to get to know him better, but I know that that isn't my place.”

 

“You always knew how to pick 'em, Buck.”

 

“C'mon, Stevie. He needs someone who won't ever do him wrong, even if it's just as a friend.”

 

“And you've always been the protective one,” Steve says with a grin. “Tony's lucky to have you keeping an eye out for him. He's got me on his side, too.”

 

“Yeah, I know. Thanks. I'm gonna get him to bed.” Bucky was careful not to jostle Tony as he got up, and it only took him a moment to pick Tony up in a hold that wouldn't wake him up. He nudged his bedroom door open and set the omega down on his bed, pulling the covers down one side at a time so he could get Tony underneath them while keeping him asleep.

 

Tony curled a hand around a fistful of Bucky's shirt, making a soft noise in the back of his throat. Bucky froze for a moment. In what way would Tony be all right with a strange alpha sleeping with him? Judging by what he'd seen, though, Tony hadn't had much chance at getting affection with his last alpha, and Bucky had no idea what the one before that had been like, if there had been one.

 

“Dammit,” Bucky murmured. He got into bed beside Tony, letting the other man snuggle close. Well, hopefully he wouldn't be too freaked out when they woke up in the morning. Maybe Bucky would manage to wake up first and be out of the room before Tony woke up and panicked.

 

Bucky did not manage to wake up first and be out of the room before Tony woke up. The omega was tightly wrapped around him, waking up first himself. When Bucky finally rejoins the land of the living, it's to an affectionate omega wrapped around him like an octopus. He rolls over on his side and slides an arm across Tony's waist, nosing against his neck. At the moment, he's not thinking about his attraction for Tony, just the scent and feel of an omega in his bed. Even though Bucky's a nice enough guy, he's still an alpha and he still has instincts.

 

“Morning,” Tony mumbles.

 

“Good morning,” Bucky replies, still sleepy. He suddenly realizes the origin and owner of the voice and his head shoots up. “Wha- Tones? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have...”

 

“No, it's my bad,” Tony says. “I shouldn't have fallen asleep on you last night or anything. Guess I got clingy. Omegas, right?” He gives a self-deprecating laugh and moves to get out of bed.

 

“Hey, that's not what I meant.” Bucky curls his fingers around Tony's wrist to keep him there. “I just didn't think you'd want me here because I'm an alpha and because of the way your last alpha treated you.”

 

“You being an alpha is why I want you here. I know you'll treat me right and you won't let Ty get to me again.”

 

“Damn right,” Bucky mutters. “I'll keep you safe, Tony. And I'm not going to ask you for anything in return. You're not expected to work for your keep or let me have sex with you or anything. So if you want to walk out of this apartment and never talk to me again for the rest of our lives after I get you to your dad's, I will still protect you as my bondmate every step of the way until you're safe at home.”

 

Tony blinks at him in complete shock. “I... Really? Are you serious? Like, the slightest bit serious?”

 

“I'm completely serious. Steve and I are here to protect you until we can get you back to your family. Okay?” He offers Tony a half-smile, and that seems to seal the deal. Bucky stays in bed with Tony for another twenty minutes, hashing out the beginnings of a plan.

 

Eventually Tony's stomach grumbles, and he bites his lip a little, glancing at Bucky. “Food?”  
  


“Sounds good to me. Let's go.” Bucky leads the way out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. It doesn't take long for him to start getting food together, Tony helping him every step of the way. By the time Steve comes back from his morning run, they're halfway through breakfast and Bucky is filling Tony in on the ending of the movie that he'd missed last night. After a momentary look of surprise, he glances at the two of them together and smiles.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

“Heya, Stevie,” Bucky says with a grin. “Good time on your run?”

 

“Yeah,” Steve replies, smiling back. After putting his water bottle in the sink, he pours himself a glass of juice and leans against the counter facing the two of them. “Hi, Tony. Was everything okay last night?”

 

“It was, sir. Thank you for your hospitality.” As the omega talks, hes keeps his gaze down and his hands folded in his lap. Most alphas are at least a little lenient with the amount of respect that omegas give them, but Tony clearly isn't interested in risking irritating either of the alphas he's with.

 

“No problem,” Steve replies, offering him the same smile he'd given Bucky. “There's no need to be so respectful. Alpha or not, I'm just a normal guy. You're safe here no matter how much shit you throw at us. We wouldn't have offered our protection if it was conditional. Lots of stuff has happened, and odds are some of that is gonna be taken out on us. It's nothing to be scared or ashamed of.”

 

“I-I won't lash out, I-” Tony's stammering, leaning into Bucky's side a little. “No, I-I'll be good. Promise. You won't have to discipline me.”

 

“We won't hurt you,” Steve says on reflex. “No, that's... That's not what I meant, Tony. I wasn't threatening you, neither one of us will ever threaten you. S'just that you can deal with what happened with Ty in any way you need to, and we won't punish you for it. People deal with trauma differently. Bucky and I deal with our own problems just as much as anyone. Got nothing to do with you, it's just stuff we've been through. Everyone's got their demons.”

 

“Are you a psychologist or something?” Tony asks, looking a little stunned that Steve is treating him with such understanding.

 

Steve chuckles. “Nah. One of my best friends is. I learned a lot from him while I was working through my own stuff.”

 

“Both of us learned,” Bucky agrees. “Sam helped a lot. You're gonna be dealing with stuff, but at least you'll have people with experience on your side. Okay?”

 

“Okay,” Tony tells him. When Bucky puts an arm across his shoulders, he leans into it, and he doesn't stiffen too much when Steve approaches him and matches Bucky's gesture. “I'm sorry, I... I'm just wound up. Leaving Ty and running off with strangers... Not a good idea if you look at it factually.”

 

“Then you're intensely brave, and intuitive,” Bucky says. “And you deserve a lot better than him. If we can help you get that, we will.”

 

For a moment, Tony sits there quietly, and then he starts crying into Bucky's shoulder. Bucky shifts in his seat so he can hold the omega in a position that's comfortable for both of them. Steve comes up behind them and wraps his arms around the both of them, murmuring quiet reassurances. It's a solid twenty minutes before Tony settles down, but he's still holding onto Bucky. The mix of alpha scents – charcoal, honey, and gunpowder for Steve; leather, paper, and burned metal for Bucky – fills the kitchen and it seems to help reassure the omega. Although Tony's smell of licorice, apples, and grease is nearly hidden, it's a complimentary undertone.

 

“'M guessin' ya feel a little better now,” Bucky mentions. “Sometimes you gotta cry for a good long while to get things out of your system. It's better than keepin' it all in until you blow up at someone. Don't ever hold in your feelings, darlin'.”

 

“Darlin'?” Tony repeated. “Can't remember anyone but my mom calling me that.”

 

“You haven't had nearly enough people treating you right, then,” Steve tells him, brushing a hand through his hair. “We're on your side, Tony. If anyone tries to hurt you, just let us know.”

 

“I will,” Tony promises quietly. He's still curled into Bucky's touch, but he seems a little more at ease with Steve now.

 

Bucky hasn't missed the fact that Ty and Steve share a physical resemblance, but for now it looks like Tony is holding it together fairly well. He doesn't know how long that will last, but for now it's the best he can hope for. “Good,” he says. “So Steve an' me are gonna take you to get a phone, and we'll see if we can get a hold of your dad in Malibu. If we can't, you can stay with us for as long as you need.”

 

“As long as Ty doesn't catch up to me,” Tony mutters. The tension is starting to creep back into his muscles, and Bucky runs a hand up his back.

 

“He can try,” Bucky says with a grin. “If he's out of the hospital yet, he's probably back at his place.”

 

“Speaking of which,” Steve interjects, “is there anything you need to get from where you were living with him?”

 

“Nothing that's worth the risk of him getting his hands on me.”

 

Bucky laughs aloud at that. “Tony, there's no way that guy's touching you. Steve and I were on an elite team of special forces for years. He doesn't have a chance. Or if you don't want to go near him, you can make a list and we'll get everything. Like going to the store.”

 

“Pretty weird store,” Tony murmurs. Bucky snorts at his joke and tightens his one-armed grin into a momentary hug. “I'll go if you stay with me.”

 

“Course,” Steve agrees. “You and Buck can get what you want, and I'll keep that bastard away from you. Do you have suitcases or something to carry your stuff with?” Tony shakes his head, and Steve nods as he starts thinking things over. “We've got a few from when we moved in, and we just have them stuck in the closet, so you can use them without any problems.”

 

“How about we get you a phone, and you can call your dad as we're on or way back from getting your stuff from Ty's?” Bucky suggests. “That way we can get back here as soon as possible. Do you need to stop at the store or anything?”  
  


“The only things I need are some stuff from Ty's.”

 

“All right. We can leave as soon as we're done eating or we can wait until later.”

 

“Might as well get it over with.”

 

“Sounds like a plan. We can go out for lunch if things go well.”

 

“Okay,” Tony says quietly.

 

Bucky keeps close at hand as they finish the meal and the clean-up afterwards. Tony is eager to help when asked, and it's easier with the extra hands. Steve slips away to take a quick shower and get changed while Bucky and Tony finish detailing their plan. A slight delay is had in getting a car, since neither Bucky or Steve have one. Clint, a friend of Bucky's, is happy to lend them his beat-up red pickup, and he drops it off before disappearing with his girlfriend Natasha.

 

Tony gives them directions to Ty's place. It's an actual house, rather than an apartment or even a suit, in the most expensive and upscale part of the city. Bucky can't match the image of the shy, brilliant omega in the backseat with the ritzy place they're in. He looks a little rumpled since he's wearing the same clothes as yesterday, and Steve's hair is sticking up in twenty directions from toweling it off after his shower. And Bucky, with his longer hair slight scruff, and ratty t-shirt, definitely doesn't look like he belongs there. One of the people who most certainly does belong there is staring at them and their car, and Bucky gives her a wolfish grin, laughing when the woman stares at them in what's practically horror.

 

“This is it, on the left,” Tony tells them. “It's...a bit much at first glance.”

 

Bucky stares at it. “That is the most godawful thing I've ever seen.” While the house might have been nice on its own if it had a nice paint colour, the dark grey trim is the only part of the house not painted white. The fountain in the front yard and the chandelier hanging under the arch of the entryway seem to be a matching set of ornate golden pieces. And the grass has to be fake to be that uniformly and brightly green, not to mention the sheer amount of flashy landscaping and shrubbery. Bucky's seen less perfect homes while flipping through magazines.

 

Apparently Tony has the same opinion, because he gives a short laugh. “Yeah, I always thought so. But Ty always wanted the best of everything. The most garish too, sometimes.”

 

Steve chuckles. “Well, it would be a really fun place to throw eggs at.”

 

“Behave,” Bucky scolds him. “C'mon, Tony. What kind of security does he have on the front door?”

 

“There's a camera over the front door but it won't see you if you're not on the carpet.”

 

“Carpet?”

 

There is an honest-to-god red carpet leading up the front steps. Bucky and Steve exchange a glance but manage not to laugh. As Tony presses the buzzer for the door, they stand off to the side. It only takes a second for Tony to ruffle his hair and crumple handfuls of the front of his shirt, and it looks like he's slept on the streets rather than having had somewhere safe. When the intercom clicks, he leans forward and speaks into it. “Hey, Ty, it's me, I'm sorry, I-”

 

“Knew you'd be back,” Ty interrupts, his voice scratchy and flat from the electronic distortion. “Come on in, Tony. Time to remind you of your place.”

 

While Tony opens the door, he hesitates before going in and glances over at the two alphas. Bucky steps forward and cheerfully kicks the door open, leaving a dirty print of the bottom of his boot on the perfectly painted white surface. “Honey, I'm home,” he yells, practically in Ty's face. The other alpha freezes where he was standing in the front hall and stares at him in mixed shock and anger.

 

“Hey, who do you think you are?” Ty demands. “Wait a minute. You're that alpha that stole my slutty little omega.”

 

“And I'm the one who kicked your ass for mistreating him,” Steve replies, steering Tony inside and glaring unpleasantly at Ty. “We're here to pick up Tony's things. If you make it unpleasant for us, I will call the goddamn _President_ and make sure you are permanently put away. Do you understand?”

 

“You don't have any right to be here!” Ty protests.

 

Steve just rolls his eyes. “I'm going to get the suitcases from the truck. Bucky, I'll leave you to explain things.”

 

“Feel like getting an explanation?” Bucky asks, stepping forward to place himself solidly between Tony and Ty. “Because I can give you a hell of a story, the kind they tell to scare outlaws into behaving, and I can guarantee that every single word of it is true.”

 

“I...” Ty seems incapable of further speech, and he stares at Bucky in shock. At that moment, Steve returns with the suitcases he'd gone to fetch, and he smiles at Ty.

 

“Now, if you don't mind, we're going to pack up Tony's things.”

 

“Unfortunately, I most certainly do mind,” Ty snaps. “Get out of my damn house. I can have you arrested on half a dozen charges.”

 

“And I can call the Secretary of Defense and the director of the FBI before the cops leave the station.” Bucky glares at him, unimpressed. “Get out of my way.” He pushes Ty aside and beckons for Tony to follow him, holding the aggressive alpha at arm's length so he doesn't have a chance at getting to Tony.

 

Ty blusters and complains behind them, but Bucky refuses to look back at him. He keeps a hand on Tony's back and lets him lead the way through the spacious house and up the wide staircase to the second floor. Steve joins them a few minutes later with the suitcases.

 

“Our bratty little problem has been locked out,” he announces. “And strangely enough, it seems like the staff have taken the day off. I can't find them anywhere. Strange.”

 

“You locked him out?” Tony demands. “Christ, he's gonna kill me.”

 

“I'm gonna kill him first if he gives you so much as a papercut,” Bucky informs him. “Which room's yours?”

 

“Sometimes I shared with Ty. But we kept all my things in here.” Tony opens the door next to the master bedroom and flicks the light on. It's a small room, with things scattered all over the place. From the way Tony loses no time in finding things, it seems as though there's some kind of order to the chaos, but Bucky can't manage to see it.

 

Once Steve puts the suitcases on the bed, he steps back and stands guard in the hallway. Bucky just stays out of the way, leaning against the cluttered desk and careful not to touch anything. Tony seems to half forget that the alpha is there as he rummages through his belongings. It takes him a few minutes to pick out some clothes from the closet, and he goes through the contents of the rest of the room in short order.

 

“Can you get the mirror down?” Tony asks, a little shy. “It's too heavy for me to get down on my own, and Ty never comes in here. So it was the safest place to hide things.”

 

Bucky's pretty pissed that Tony had to think out his hiding places, but he tamps down his emotions and does as requested. He sets it down leaning against the desk, and it only takes a minute for Tony to take off the frame and cardboard backing. A plastic baggie full of pictures and a few flash drives were taped to the back of the mirror at some point. While Tony tosses the flash drives in the suitcase with the rest of his things, he tucks the baggie into the waistband of his jeans. Though Bucky can't see what the pictures are of, he guesses they must be pretty important to him.

 

Eventually Tony gets together everything he wants to take. It barely fills two suitcases, not counting the cardboard box full of mechanical parts that had been sitting by the bed, and he stands there looking dispassionately at the things he'd left. Bucky quietly asks is he's ready, and Tony nods that he is, picking up the box. He doesn't fight Bucky taking the suitcases, and follows both alphas down the stairs. Steve goes out first, puts Ty in a headlock, and calmly drags him halfway across the lawn, where he stands holding the alpha's arms behind his back while Bucky escorts Tony to the truck. They put Tony's things in the bed of the truck, and Steve sits in the driver's side of the backseat, letting Tony take shotgun.

 

“Gonna call your dad?” Bucky asks as they pull out. Ty is screaming at them from his front lawn, but both alphas ignore him and the truck doors are locked, so Tony is obviously trying not to panic too much over his old alpha's actions.

 

“Yeah,” Tony says. He he dials a number and waits for it to ring, his free arm wrapped around his ribs. Nobody answers and he bites his lip as he waits for it to go to voicemail. “Dad, it-it's Tony. I'm in New York, I left Ty and I have somewhere to stay, but I'd like to come home. Just call me back, please. And I'm so sorry, Dad. Looks like you were right, and I should have known. But I was an idiot, and I'm paying for it now, and this time I swear I'm not gonna go back to him. This time he went too far. So if you could just call me back, I'd really appreciate it. Guess I'll call tomorrow if you haven't gotten back to me by then, so... bye.”

 

“Don't worry, Tony,” Bucky tells him. “Even if your dad doesn't call you back, you can bunk with us.”

 

“Thanks,” the omega replies.

 

“So do you want to go eat somewhere?” Steve asks. “We can go back home if you want, but there's a dozen places between here and our apartment.”

 

“I can pay,” Tony promises.

 

“We're not asking you to,” Bucky reminds him. “Steve and I have more than enough. Really, Tony, don't worry about it. You don't owe us anything.”

 

“Okay.” Tony turns the phone over in his hands as Bucky drives, bringing up various food options. In the end they settle on a pancake house. When they park, Steve moves Tony's suitcases to the backseat floor so nobody has the chance to steal them. He follows the other two into the restaurant, keeping anyone from getting too close to Tony.

 

The two alphas order first, as is usually done, and the sheer volume of food they ask for seems to help convince Tony that he can ask for whatever he wants. All three of them take their time over the meal, and the undebatable back-up and protection at Ty's apparently made Tony realize he can trust them, at least a little more than he had already. He talks with them a little easier, although he's still subdued and quiet. Given Bucky's and Steve's military background, they can tell he's constantly second-guessing himself and choosing his words in an attempt to please them. It irritates Bucky to no end, and even though his negative emotions aren't directed at Tony, the omega seemed a little skittish anyway until the dark-haired soldier put a lid on his emotions.

 

After lunch, the drive back to Bucky's and Steve's apartment. Tony lets them put his things in Bucky's room but doesn't unpack anything. He does leave his pictures with the rest of his things, and Bucky gets a glimpse of a family in the top one before he politely looks away. Even if they are all living together, he doesn't have any right to pry into Tony's personal life.

 

For the most part, the three of them keep to themselves for the afternoon. Or rather, Steve is on his own and Bucky makes sure that Tony has full access to his presence. The omega seems to want to avoid being on his own at the moment, and while he doesn't get too close to Bucky, he definitely prefers to stay in the living room with him. When it's time for dinner, he's eager to help, and Bucky kicks Steve out of the kitchen so the omega can do so. Although his assistance isn't needed, Bucky is fine with him doing whatever helps him feel settled.

 

During dinner, the three of them talk about a variety of subjects. It's a conversation that bounces around a lot, as is usual for the two alphas, but Tony actually follows it fairly easily. He still finds it easier to talk to Bucky instead of Steve, but they both encourage him whenever he speaks and it seems like it might be slowly getting easier for him, a little bit at a time.

 

Tony's phone rings in the middle of a conversation about _Aliens Vs. Predators_ , and he jumps guiltily. “Shit, I'm sorry, I should have turned it off, I will next time.” He fumbles with it a bit once it's out of his pocket, and pauses for a moment to stare at the screen. “Jesus, it's Dad.”

 

“Answer it,” Bucky orders him, getting up from the table. “Steve and I will be in his bedroom. Come get us if you need us for anything. Make whatever arrangements that are necessary and we'll make sure you get to Malibu and your dad's place safely.” He drags Steve with him into the blond's bedroom and shuts the door firmly behind him.

 

“Dad?” Tony asks uncertainly as the door closes. He lets out a shuddering gasp of relief at the answer he gets and a torrent of words pour out of his mouth, nearly unintelligent in their speed. It's a solid fifteen minutes before he hangs up and knocks at the bedroom door. “So, uh, that was a PA. My dad's out of the country and nobody's gonna be able to get in touch with him for a while. And he's the only one with the passcode to the Malibu house. The other houses don't have the same kind of security; they're not as safe as that one. Which means I'm kind of stuck.”

 

“You can stay here,” Bucky offers. “This place is pretty secure. And most of the other tenants are active duty, shore leave, or retired military or special ops. If someone tries to mess with our apartment, there'll be a hell of a lot of people coming out to stop them. Did the PA say how long your dad was likely to be gone?”

 

“Uh, two weeks at the least. Maybe three. Their security cutoff is a month. So he'll probably call back in two and a half weeks? If he calls back at all, sometimes he can be really distant. And I told him I had somewhere to stay.”

 

“Well, you also said that Ty crossed the line,” Steve reminds them. “Your dad is gonna want to make sure that you're all right.”

 

“I was also a really dramatic kid growing up. He'll probably think that I ran out on Ty cause I got pissed at him and that I was overreacting like I always did.”

 

“Tony,” Bucky says gently. “He's your father. As soon as he hears that you were hurt, he's going to try to get in touch with you, or just come here himself. Let's give things two weeks and then call him. If he doesn't make contact with you, Steve and I can make some calls and find out where he is.”

 

“Yeah, to the Secretary of Defense and the director of the FBI?” Tony replies with a sarcastic huff. He bites his lip immediately, dropping his gaze. “I apologize, that was out of line.”

 

“It's no problem,” Bucky tells him. “And yes, to the aforementioned parties. Steve and I have some connections.”

 

“Going through a lot of trouble for an omega,” Tony points out.

 

“For a human being who deserves our protection,” Steve corrects him. “We'd do the same for anyone else that needed help. I don't care who you are or what you do. Ty was abusing you and taking advantage of you. So we stepped in, like someone should have done a long time ago.”

 

“Seriously. You don't know who I am?”

 

Bucky shrugs. “You're an omega named Tony. That's all we know besides your scent and your proclivity for rich assholes.”

 

“My name is Anthony Stark, widely known as the inheritor and son of Howard Stark, CEO of Stark Industries. So, yes, _that_ Tony Stark.”

 

The two alphas stared at him. “Christ,” Bucky murmurs faintly. Because Tony Stark, child genius, top-of-the-line inventor and scientist, and inheritor to one of the biggest and most wealthy companies in the world? Not the person that Bucky would expect to have rescued from an abusive partner in a trashy club. Or from anything, truth be told.

 

“Now, if you'll excuse me. I'll be off to the Ritz or the Warner Penthouse, to get out of your hair,” Tony snaps. “Last thing I need is for you to be treating me like a princess.”

 

Steve is still staring at the omega like he's rerunning the last day and a half in his head. Bucky rolls his eyes and swats Tony on the shoulder and pushes him toward the kitchen. “C'mon, punk. I don't give a flying fuck who you are. You needed help and we could help you. Didn't matter who you were. Now can we go finish dinner? I'm hungry.”

 

“Oh, come on. You can't say that you don't care about who I am.”

 

“You're some guy named Tony. Whether your last name is Stark or Bennett or anything else doesn't matter. Now, you eating or not?”

 

“Fine, but don't expect me to pay you or give you a job or anything.”

 

Bucky chuckled. “I wasn't expecting to get anything from you before I found out who you were, so I'm not going to expect anything now. Come on, you need food.”

 

Tony is still grumbling but he follows the alphas into the kitchen. He's clearly unimpressed with Bucky's promises that they don't want anything from him, and waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it seems like he's at least determined to get a last meal out of things. Steve and Bucky pick up their conversation where it had left off earlier, and while Tony keeps his thoughts to himself now, he looks like he's following at least a little of their conversation.

 

After dinner, Tony helps with the dishes as he had before. He offers his help as a challenge and Bucky doesn't try to fight him. It seems like he's going to try to be problematic now to try to convince them that he is Tony Stark, or some other such dramatic thing, but Bucky doesn't care to encourage him. While he does offer to leave his room to Tony and sleep on the couch, the omega refuses and the two of them end up going to bed together as usual.

 

“Please, not my hands, Ty, don't hurt my hands, please, don't.” Tony curls up in a ball on the mattress, his hands balled against his chest. He's whimpering in his sleep, the noise just loud enough to wake Bucky up a few hours after they went to bed.

 

“Hey, Tony, wake up,” Bucky says, brushing a hand over Tony's hair. “C'mon, sweetheart, you're safe. Wake up, Tony. It's okay, he's gone.”

 

Tony awakes with a full-body spasm, lashing out in panic. Bucky blocks the one blow that comes close to actually landing on him but otherwise keeps from touching him, although he keeps talking to him in a low voice. It takes a minute for Tony to stop freaking out, but once he finally escapes the grip of his nightmare, he stays in a ball, almost hyperventilating.

 

“I've got you, it's okay,” Bucky reassures him. He gently pries Tony's hands away from his chest and cups them in his own, keeping his touch light. “Ty's gone, he's gone for good. Nobody's gonna hurt you again.”

 

“Dammit,” Tony grumbles under his breath.

 

“The road to recovery is going to be long and hard,” Bucky tells him, fairly certain of what the omega is thinking about. “I hope the nightmares are the worst of your worries.”

 

“What else could be worse?”

 

“If you woke up and couldn't tell the difference between me and Ty, and thought that I was just another person out to torture you. If you forgot how to understand English and attacked me trying to escape. If I had to hold you down and you panicked thinking I was going to hurt you, or if I did have to hurt you to keep you from doing something that would get someone else hurt.”

 

“Have you ever had to do that to someone?” Tony asks quietly.

 

“Steve's had to do it to me. I was a prisoner of war and when I came back to the States, I was in a pretty bad shape. The people who had me did some awful stuff. And Steve had to do some hard things to keep the both of us safe.”

 

“I'm sorry,” Tony says quietly. “That's awful.”

 

“Yeah. It's not something that someone ever gets over completely. But when you do your best and have someone there for you that believes in you, it's easier. And Steve's one of the few people that have the knowledge and physical strength to keep me contained without driving me even crazier, when that's possible.”  
  


“Guess you have enough problems without me in the middle of things.”

 

“Maybe we have some rough patches, yeah,” Bucky agrees. “And they're worse problems than just about any other pair of friends go through. But we've managed so far. The worst of it was in the first couple years. I've been back for five and a half now. Some of the stuff that used to bother me doesn't any more, and for the rest, I can usually keep a handle on it until I can get to somewhere I consider safe enough to let me either get myself under control or freak out where nobody would get hurt.”

 

“Is it hard?”

 

“Sometimes I can go weeks without any problems. And sometimes I run into trouble a thousand times a day. It depends on where I am, who I'm with, and what I'm feeling. Occasionally it's hard, but overall it's okay. You'll get through what you're dealing with, and in the end you'll be a different person, even if only a little bit. But you've got good people on your side and there's a lot of resources out there.”

 

“Can you help?” Tony asks.

 

“Definitely, if you want me to.”

 

“I'm sorry I was yelling earlier.”

 

“Going through hard stuff can make you prone to being pissy at people,” Bucky says with a little shrug. “When I first came back and people tried to thank me for my service, or apologize for what happened, I hated it. It wasn't anything they did, I was just in a place where I wanted to bitch at everyone who talked to me. Even Steve, sometimes.”

 

“How did you learn to deal with it?”

 

“Practice. And talking with people who went through the same kind of experience. It helps.”

 

“So I should go to therapy?” Tony looks less than pleased with the prospect.

 

“It might help, it might not. Some people prefer to just talk with people who are their friends. Cause if you're the kind of person that doesn't like to talk about stuff openly, I'd say to try to deal with things with the help of your family before going off and blabbing to a stranger. Might be easier on you.”

 

“Huh.”

 

Bucky brushes his thumb across the back of Tony's hands. “You're gonna turn out all right, Tony. And once we get you to your dad's place, you'll have even more help.”

 

“Yeah, Dad's gonna get a kick out of this. He always said I'd never be able to find an alpha that treated me right. At first I figured it was because he didn't think anyone would want me. But I think it's mostly because people see too much 'Stark' to see 'Tony'. They're like Ty, they just want me for my body and money.”

 

“Then tell your dad that I'm your alpha and that I'm taking care of you. Find someone who will treat you right while you have me to protect you from anyone that might try to do you wrong, and once you find the right alpha, you can show your dad.”

 

Tony nods, clearly thinking things over. “Yeah, that might work.”

 

When Tony shifts a bit closer, Bucky slips one hand from Tony's and puts an arm across his waist. “Do you want to go back to sleep or stay up?” Tony only shrugs a little in response. “All right. So tell me something about yourself, and I'll tell you something about me. If we're gonna sell that to your dad, we better be able to pull it off. And I'd like to talk to you. You're pretty smart, and you've got a hell of a sense of humour.”

 

At that, Tony cracks a smile. “Okay then. What do you want to talk about first?” They start talking, and the conversation helps Tony settle down, as well as letting him get to know the alpha he'll be faking a relationship with. Plus, Bucky wasn't lying about wanting to talk to him, or his intelligence and humour. Since Tony's starting to fall asleep, Bucky tugs him close and brushes a hand through his hair.

 

Once Tony passes out again, Bucky stays close and noses the back of his neck. If they're lucky, he'll be able to find ways to calm Tony down before he gets too panicked at night. He's already worrying about the nights that Tony will eventually spend on his own, or with another alpha that might not be as caring. While most alphas are nothing like Ty, Tony had mentioned that the blond was kind to him at first, and Bucky's worried that Tony might fall for something similar again.

 

In the morning, Tony is again wrapped around Bucky in a fairly tight grip. While Bucky isn't used to sharing a bed, he does like having someone so close to him. Especially since that someone is Tony. He keeps an arm around the omega's waist as the two of them start waking up and lets Tony snuggle as close as he wants. Steve is back from his run for a good twenty minutes before they leave the bedroom.

 

“Thought you two were going to sleep all day,” the alpha greets them. He's almost done with breakfast but pauses to pour the two of them coffee. “Rough night?”

 

“Not too bad. We talked about it. How was your run?”

 

“Pretty good. Clint's coming by later to get his truck. Oh, and Sam wants to know if we're gonna come to dinner this weekend. I mentioned that we have someone staying over but I didn't mention a name or class.”

 

“Sam's good people,” Bucky reassures Tony when the omega eyes Steve a little uneasily. “He works at the VA when he's not doing active duty work. And he helped both Steve and me a lot.”

 

Tony relaxes a little and nods. He sits at the kitchen counter as Bucky starts getting breakfast together. Steve sits back down to finish his cereal. Bucky mixed a few packs of instant oatmeal with milk but didn't bother to heat it in the microwave. Despite that, he takes the time to make Tony's breakfast properly before setting the bowl in front of him, and Tony gives a little smile of thanks. Once they're done, Tony puts the dishes in the dishwasher as Bucky refills their coffee cups.

 

“Gonna stay in today?” Bucky asks. “Or is there somewhere that you need to get to?”

 

“I got my stuff from Ty's before he threw it all out. Until Dad calls, there's not much else I need to do.”

 

“Depending on things with work, I might be out for the rest of the day,” Steve mentions.

 

“Last mi-thing went fine,” Bucky protests. “And it was weeks ago.”

 

“No, it's something new that he wants to talk to me about. I've barely heard anything yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I get enough info.”

 

“Okay, sounds good,” Bucky agrees. He glances over at Tony. “We work with, well, sensitive stuff with the government. So we're not gonna be able to tell you much about it. I just don't want you to think that we're being secretive because it's something personal.”

 

“Yeah, I understand,” Tony quickly reassures him. Most alphas wouldn't explain, or would just tell Tony to go to another room while work talk is going on. He appreciates the consideration, even if he's clueless as to what they're discussing.

 

“I'll let you know when he calls me,” Steve promises. Bucky nods in agreement and opens his mouth to say something when someone knocks on the door. Tony jumps, then makes as if to answer it, but Bucky puts a hand on his arm and tells him not to worry. Steve goes instead, and he comes back a moment later with a blond omega. “Clint, this is Tony; Tony, this is Clint.”

 

“Hi,” Tony murmurs, glancing at him curiously.

 

“Sup, bro?” Clint asks. Bucky's beaming, and he gets up to give Clint a hug. “Easy on the ribs, c'mon,” the blond complains, but he's grinning. “I just came by to pick up my keys. You guys didn't break it, right? My brother's getting out of prison tomorrow and I said I'd pick him up.”

 

“The car wrecking thing was _one time_ ,” Steve protests, ducking his head a bit. “And we had a good reason. Besides, we fixed your car. We offered you a new one, but you said no. You bang up your truck up yourself all the time.”

 

“Yeah, but it's my car, not one I'm borrowing,” Clint explains like it's obvious. Bucky tosses him the keys, which he'd gone into the kitchen to retrieve, and Clint catches them one-handed. “Thanks, brat.”

 

Bucky goes back to stand next to Tony, who's looking totally shocked that an omega is talking to a pair of alphas so freely. He rubs a hand up his back and smiles at him. Clint doesn't stay too long, mentioning that he's meeting a friend named Kate, but both alphas engage him in familiar conversation while he's there. Once the blond omega is gone, Tony can't help but give Bucky a sidelong glance.

 

“So now that you have an example of a typical alpha-omega friendship,” Bucky mentions. “You have our full permission to be just as free with us as Clint is. Ty didn't treat you the right way, and made you afraid of speaking out against an alpha. I'm sorry for that. But Steve and I won't ever hurt you for how you treat us and the way you act. Clint's a bit of a strange guy sometimes, but everyone has their quirks. And feel free to be as eccentric as you like, yourself. We won't hold anything against you unless you willfully hurt someone.”

 

“Okay,” Tony says quietly, leaning into his touch a little. “I'll try.”

 

“Not if it makes you uncomfortable,” Steve adds. “That's the last thing any of us want.”

 

“What Steve said,” Bucky agrees. “So is there anything you wanted to do?”

 

“No,” Tony answers after a moment's thought.

 

“Movie marathon,” Bucky suggests. “What's your opinion on Disney?”

 

The corner of Tony's mouth quirks up in the beginning of a smile. “I haven't seen any since I was a kid. Could be nice.”

 

“Popcorn, soda, and blankets,” Steve reminds them.

 

“Exactly,” Bucky says. He smiles at Tony and curls an arm around his waist, gently holding him against his side. “I'll let you pick the movies.” A split-second look of disbelief later, Tony smiles back.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this was originally meant to be a smutty, fluffy one-shot where Bucky picked up a boyfriend while clubbing. And it went in a far different direction than I'd expected. Which is a rambling way of me saying that I don't know where this fic is going to go in the next few chapters. There's a vague long-term outline, but nothing concrete. But there will be smut soon. Never fear.


	3. Chapter 3

Steve starts with the popcorn preparations but soon gets distracted in a text conversation. Bucky teases him incessantly about the attention he's giving his phone but lays off him when Steve shares that it's the omega woman he'd been talking with last night at the club. Apparently she found him to be of interest. He's distracted enough that Tony takes on the task of getting their snacks ready, and the omega only stops to go to the living room to choose a movie once Bucky shoos him in there.

 

They end up starting at the chronological beginning of the alphas' extensive Disney collection. Almost every Disney movie is there in a special or extended edition. Bucky explains that he has several younger sisters that give him a very good excuse to have the collection, and Tony can't help a little chuckle. He isn't used to alphas being so open, or to them having an easily shared soft side, but he's getting a little familiar with the idea.

 

Halfway through the first movie, Steve gets a text that makes him frown and he excuses himself to his bedroom for a phone call. When he comes back out, he's changed from his lounge wear to street clothes. After murmuring a few words of explanation in Bucky's ear, he leaves the apartment. By the time he's in the hallway, he's already on the phone again. Tony is careful not to ask for an explanation, or look like he wants one. Even if it was his place to ask, he wants to respect the alphas' privacy as much as they've respected his. Bucky reassures him that it's just work stuff without prompting, and they settle back in.

 

It doesn't take them too long to settle into a routine. Tony curls up under several blankest and leans into Bucky's side. Bucky holds a bowl of popcorn or some other snack, giving Tony free access and an arm around his shoulders. He answers the few questions that Tony asks with detail, putting the movie on pause so he can take his time and make sure that the omega understands. When each movie is over, they discuss the events in it through the credit roll, and one of them refills snacks and drinks while the other puts in the next movie.

 

While Tony seems to be trying to keep his face relatively blank, he can't help that he's naturally emotional. Bucky smiles when he does and hugs him during the tense parts of the movies, and after an entire morning of watching movies, Tony is feeling a little more relaxed. They make lunch together, something simple and fast, and spend the rest of the afternoon doing the same thing. Steve doesn't come home that night, but he texts Bucky just before dinnertime to let him know that he might be gone for a few days.

 

“That can be normal for us,” Bucky explains to Tony as they're eating. “Steve let me know that he was me off duty for the next month. You don't have to worry about us both being called out at once. But he isn't sure how long he'll be gone.”

 

“Does his work put him in danger?” Tony asks quietly.

 

“He said this time it doesn't. A lot of the time, yeah, it does. We're on call for a few special ops teams, so sometimes things turn nearly lethal. Sometimes we've been lucky to get out alive, sometimes we've lost teammates. But so far Steve and I have made it out okay. That's the important thing. It kind of makes it hard to find a partner, though.”

 

“You and Steve aren't...?”

 

“We're both alphas, so we wouldn't be mates. And it would be like fucking my brother.” Bucky and Tony make matching faces at the thought of that. “I always thought I'd come back from my military tours and find someone to settle down and have a family with. Once that was out of the picture, though, I didn't miss it as much as I thought I would. Then I got involved with my current work and the special ops team.”

 

“How come you didn't try to find a mate before the spec-ops team?”

 

“The stuff that happened when I was a POW... When I have nightmares, it can be dangerous for the person that's with me. It wouldn't be fair to whatever omega I mated with to have to leave them half the nights we spent together. And all the times that I'd have to leave for missions, that could go for weeks. Plus I'd always be worried about someone trying to hurt them. Just wouldn't be fair to either one of us. Especially if something happened to them.”

 

“Guess you're right. It's gotta be hard, though, being alone all the time.” Tony sounds sympathetic, but understanding as well.

 

“Well, there's been a few one night stands here and there. But I've never tried for a committed relationship. Not expecting that to change anytime soon.”

 

“Even if an omega wanted you?”

 

“Not unless I knew they could protect themselves if something happened. And they'd have to be willing to put up with a hell of a lot of my shit. I couldn't ask someone to do that, even if I wanted them.” Bucky shrugs a little. The problems he faces aren't ones he talks about much.

 

“Sucks. But I understand. At least you'll get a few weeks of practice in while we're convincing my dad that I'm not a total fuckup.”

 

Bucky chuckles. “That's true. Who knows, maybe I'll find someone that will make me change my mind for a while. Don't think it will ever change completely.”

 

“You deserve it,” Tony tells him. “The way you stepped in for me, you'd be a great alpha to anyone you chose. And you'd probably be a great dad, too.”

 

“Always wanted kids,” Bucky admits. “Growing up with three younger sisters, I had a lot of practice taking care of them. Just figured that wasn't an option. Like having an omega. It'd be nice, but too dangerous. Wish it wasn't, but...”

 

“Could change someday. You never know.”

 

Bucky smiles faintly. “I'd like that. What about you, have you ever wanted a family?”

 

“Thought about it sometimes, but never really considered it. My parents weren't the best. And neither were most of the alphas I've had. None of them would be ones I'd let raise my kid. Maybe if I found the right partner. Guess I just have to wait, like you.”

 

“You'll find someone,” Bucky reassures him. “Maybe you've had a bad run with alphas, but that won't last forever. Guys like you find what they deserve in the end. They find mates and homes. It might take a little while, but you'll get there.”

 

“I hope so,” Tony replies, in a rare moment of vulnerable honesty. Bucky puts an arm around his shoulders and kisses the top of his head. Tony leans into the touch.

 

Steve, as he had said, is gone for the next few days. Bucky and Tony finished watching the Disney collection the morning of the day he came home. It's mid-afternoon before Steve returns, and when he does, Bucky greets him warmly, with a tight hug and questions about how things went.

 

“We need to talk,” Steve replies, his voice even more serious than normal. He apologizes to Tony as he drags Bucky into his bedroom, shutting the door behind them. A moment later, Bucky yells an outraged 'what?' and Tony jumps where he sits on the couch. The sound is hardly deafened considering that the alpha had yelled practically at the top of his lungs.

 

Finally the two start to quiet, after a solid hour of talking. Bucky's voice frequently rises in anger or shock, and Steve seems to be concentrating on keeping him calm. His efforts don't work too well, but it's not for lack of trying. Tony glances at the door repeatedly, wondering if the two of them are going to come out and how much of their problems have to do with him. If he had anywhere else to go, he'd leave to let them work things out in as much privacy as possible, but in the end he doesn't move from the couch.

 

Bucky comes out of the room and lets the door slam open, anger and stress practically pouring off him in waves. Tony jumps feet into the air and stares at him, totally taken aback by his outburst. He curls up into a ball on instinct, tracking Bucky's movements with wide eyes. Even though Bucky notices his fear, he can't make himself calm down too much, and after grabbing his jacket and keys, he storms out of the apartment without a word. It's only when he's gone that Tony notices Steve standing in the doorway of his bedroom looking troubled.

 

“How much do you know about Bucky's past?” Steve asks after a moment.

 

“Not much. He mentioned he was a prisoner of war. That it was really hard for him in the first couple years after he came back.”

 

“What do you know about Hydra?”

 

“I don't... Wait. Ty, he mentioned it a few times. Like it was some kind of organization or leader. But only when he didn't know I was listening. I never brought it up because it was just best not to talk to him most of the time.”

 

“Hydra is a terrorist organization that's been growing within international governments for years. They were the ones who kidnapped and tortured Bucky. And Ty is a fairly high-ranking member of their organization, which is something we didn't know until today. When you shared your full name, we used it to get information on Ty, to see what we were dealing with and make sure we could keep you safe if he had connections. But, uh, Hydra wasn't what we were expecting. Needless to say, Bucky isn't taking it well.”

 

“Does he want me to go?” Tony asks quietly.

 

“Bucky wouldn't let you go unless you demanded it. He knows what Hydra can do and he won't be interested in risking you falling into their hands. If they thought you told us about them, they'd torture and kill you. Something that none of us want. We can keep you safe, if you stay with us, but there's no way you're going to live without some kind of protection. That's going to be part of your life now, unfortunately. The risk isn't worth it.”

 

“Oh.” Tony doesn't really know what to say to that. It isn't exactly hard to believe that Ty was part of a terrorist organization. But that someone would want to track down Tony and go through a bunch of trouble just to kill him? None of that makes sense. Still, it would be a lot easier for them to keep him tied up in a shack in the woods somewhere if they wanted control over them. And it really isn't too hard to believe Steve, given Bucky's anger and the way Ty treated him in the past.

 

“What do I do now?” he asks. Leaving apparently isn't a good idea, and he doesn't want to in the first place. Half his mind is already running through ways he can use his money to track down and destroy Hydra. Not to mention the fact that he'll have to update security and let Howard know. But he's also paying attention to Steve, because he's kind of out of his depth here.

 

“You stay with us. And I mean that at least one of us is with you at all times. We'll make sure you have a weapon and that you know how to use it. Let some of the neighbours know, people we trust. Clint and Natasha especially. The four of us are pretty close. I'll ask them if they'll give you their numbers too. If something happens where Bucky and I can't get to you, call them too. Anywhere they take you will be safe, and they'll let you know who to trust.” Steve's listing things off like he's been planning this, which he very well might have been.

 

“Um. That's a lot.”

 

“Bucky, he... He's scared. Really scared. Most people wouldn't have survived what Hydra did to him. There were other prisoners, ones that were tortured to death, and he doesn't want to risk you being one of them. Even if you two don't know each other well, Bucky's always been the protective sort when he's friends with someone, and what happened with Hydra made him a little paranoid.”

 

“Could that happen? Hydra getting to me and...?”

 

“If we're not careful, yes. But if we do everything we can, and we manage to hold out until your dad gets Stateside, then we'll be able to use the Stark family resources to make sure you're safe. Hydra tracking us down isn't too likely. And it's not likely that they could get to us. You're the one in danger.”

 

Obviously Tony didn't like the sound of that too much. And nobody would, especially someone who had any idea of what Hydra could do. Bucky hadn't said much, but what he had shared had stuck in Tony's overactive mind. Plus, anything that can scare a seriously experienced special ops soldier? Not something that he wants to run into.

 

“So I stay here indefinitely?” he asks.

 

“Until we get into contact with your dad. Since you're potentially a person of interest to Hydra, we have clearance to put a bit more effort into trying to get into contact with him. And the building has a chopper pad on the roof, so we can fly you directly to Malibu.”

 

“That's a lot of trouble,” Tony murmurs.

 

“Part of it is because you're a Stark. Your dad's company provides over half the military's weapons. If he decides he wants to terminate his contract, it would cost a lot of money and put a lot of people in danger. And if Hydra caught you, they could brainwash and torture you into making weapons for them. With your intelligence and knowledge, you could turn the tide of the war against terrorism in favour of the terrorists. I don't need to tell you that that's one of the worst outcomes of this scenario.”

 

“Yeah. Okay, so I hide here until we find my dad. Then what?”

 

“Then you stay at the Malibu house under guard until we manage to bring Stone in. If we'd known beforehand, we'd have sent in a tac team when we went to get your stuff, but it's too late for that now. We'll track him down, though, don't worry. And if we're lucky, we'll manage to track down a local base as well.”

 

“Can I do anything?”

 

“You can stay here and stay safe. And once you get to Malibu, you need to listen to your dad. I don't know what kind of relationship you two have. But he has the connections and experience to make sure you don't come to any harm, and that's everyone's objective.”

 

“Fine,” Tony agrees. His relationship with Howard is nowhere near perfect, and he doesn't like the idea of having to listen to him. But if that's what it takes to keep himself from being tortured by terrorists? Tony will be happy to obey his father.

 

“Bucky will be back sooner or later. Don't be too hard on him for taking off like that. Hearing about Hydra is never easy for him, but hearing that they're after someone he knows... That wouldn't be easy for anyone, much less someone that has his history with them.”

 

“I understand,” Tony assures him. “Not gonna hold it against him or anything.”

 

“Good,” Steve says. “I'll be in my room working on stuff, but let me know if you need anything, okay?”

 

“Yeah, sure,” Tony replies. He wishes he had Bucky's number so he could ask him how he was doing, but even if he was capable of doing so, he kind of doubted that Bucky would appreciate the interruption to whatever it was that he was doing. Even if he was one of the nicest alphas that Tony had met in his life, everyone had their limits. And Tony honestly didn't want to know those limits, because he wanted at least one good authority figure in his existence, and since his relationship with Bucky would be short-term, that was his best bet. Though it wouldn't do future relationships any service.

 

Tony searched around on the tv until he found a Harry Potter marathon that was playing. He would have preferred to continue the Disney marathon, but he also wanted to wait until Bucky came back to watch them with him. It was almost dinnertime by the time he'd finished the movies, and Bucky still hadn't shown up. Even Steve seemed a bit nervous as the two of them made something to eat, and he mentioned that he hadn't heard from Bucky since the other alpha had left the apartment.

 

When they're halfway through dinner, Bucky finally shows up, slipping through the front door like he hopes he won't be noticed. Both the men sitting at the table let out sighs of relief at the sight of him, and he offers a sheepish grin.

 

“Sorry I didn't call,” he apologizes. “I was at Nat's. We were sparring. Just needed to be distracted.”

 

“You're okay?” Steve asks. Bucky nods in reply and sits down next to Tony, wordless.

 

“M'sorry if I freaked you out,” he says quietly, slipping a hand between Tony's shoulderblades and rubbing a circle with his thumb. “S'just hard for me. Knowing they were so close and what they could have done to us.”

 

“I understand,” Tony reassures him. He slides his hand over to lace his fingers with Bucky's. “Not mad at you or anything. Just scared a little that you disappeared for so long.”

 

“Can't say it won't happen again. But I'll try to give you a heads up next time.”

 

“Sometimes things happen,” Tony replies, shrugging a bit. Bucky smiles and shifts his hand up so he has an arm around his shoulders. His thanks is wordless but clearly heard.

 

Now that Steve and Tony are reassured that Bucky's okay, the rest of the meal goes a lot more smoothly. The three of them talk about anything that comes to mind, and Bucky promises to get back to the movie marathon the next morning. He seems like he's been relaxed by whatever he did with Nat, although there's still a residual tenseness in his shoulders that Tony suspects will only be truly gone once they've dealt with Ty.

 

After they're done with supper, Steve and Tony clean up the plates as Bucky goes to take a shower. He comes out and instantly goes to the blond, who wraps him in a hug and brushes a few fingers through his hair. They stay like that for a long minute before Bucky steps back and smiles at him, taking a deep breath.

 

“Good?” Steve asks.

 

“Yep,” Bucky replies. He tugs Tony in for the same treatment, inhaling the omega's scent for a distraction. It's a little stronger than it's been in the past few days, but Bucky puts that down to the fact that he's not so worried about being harmed by either of the alphas he's living with. There's nothing left for them to do, so Steve suggests they pick up the movie marathon now instead of later. Before long the three of them agree, and Tony makes the three of them popcorn as Bucky puts the next movie in.

 

By the time the movie's over, Bucky is looking a lot more relaxed. He'd also sprawled half across Tony, who doesn't seem to mind in the least since it means that Bucky is giving him attention and affection. Steve reminds them how uncomfortable it will be if they fall asleep on the couch. Whether they listen or not is always a gamble when it has to do with Bucky, and he's pretty sure that if Tony was comfortable enough to be disobedient, he'd be just as bratty as Bucky usually is.

 

Steve is in and out through the next day. Bucky keeps his word and picks up the movie marathon right where he and Tony left off, trying not to notice just how overly affectionate the omega's being. They order pizza instead of making lunch, and there's enough leftovers to make up half of dinner even with Steve's appetite. He joins them for a few movies after dinner, eyeing them speculatively since they're tangled up on the couch together like last night. Eventually he gets up, stretching before he interrupts Bucky's and Tony's conversation.

 

“I'm gonna be out for most of tomorrow,” he tells them. “Probably gonna leave early. Fury wants the team together for a training run so we'll be ready when we find where Ty is. See you guys for dinner unless I text first.”

 

The two of them almost end up falling asleep on the couch, but Bucky nudges Tony to sit up just before it's too late for them to move and leads him into the bedroom. By the time they both get under the covers, Tony is making sleepy little whining noises and snuggling close. Somehow they've already gotten used to sharing a bed, and Bucky scoots down a little so he can put an arm over Tony's waist comfortably. It doesn't take long for them both to fall asleep.

 

Morning is half gone by the time Bucky wakes up. He rolls over so he's stretched out on his back and it isn't long before there's a heavy weight over one leg and half his chest. Warm lips press to his own and he makes a noise of appreciative pleasure, deepening the kiss and smiling a bit when he hears a nearly matching sound. The person on top of him is heavy but soft, and rolling against him in a way that's very enticing. It takes very little time for Bucky to be kissing Tony over and over, but not much more for him to realize who it is.

 

“Whoa, stop,” he blurts out, turning his face away. “Tony, what are you doing? Cut it out.”

 

“Please, it won't last long, it doesn't have to mean anything.”

 

“I – Tony, are you in heat?” Bucky asks. When Tony mumbles something in assent, he raises both eyebrows, because he honestly has no idea what to do with this information. He's had few partners, and while he's been around a few omegas in heat, he's never had to take care of any of them. This is shaping up to be the potential exception. “Uh, what exactly are you expecting me to do?”

 

“Fuck me,” Tony replies, rolling his hips against Bucky's. “What do you think?”

 

“Same words, different context.”

 

“C'mon, Bucky, please. I want to know what it feels like when I'm treated right. Want it to feel good.”

 

Bucky gives an annoyed little growl and rolls over so he's pinning the omega to the bed. The air in Tony's lungs leaves in a rush, and his hips roll up against Bucky's body as he gives a breathy whimper. He's begging under his breath, a rush of words that's only increasing Bucky's desire to claim him. Usually he's firm on the decisions he makes, but Tony's initial pleas to be treated right made a very convincing argument.

 

“You're insufferable,” Bucky mutters. “Do you have any idea how I'm going to treat you? How good this is going to feel for you? I know omegas aren't so needy when they're in heat, I know it's me that you want.” Tony just whines softly, not bothering to try to deny it. Bucky ducks his head to kiss him, letting his body weight fall on the omega and press him to the bed. “S'okay, Tony, I'm gonna take such good care of you.”

 

“Please,” Tony begs. He kisses a line down Bucky's neck, hot and needy. “I know you will, I know.”

 

“Hush, baby, it's okay.” Bucky kisses him, deepening it until Tony's pliant and moaning beneath him. It takes barely any time at all for for Bucky to pull his shirt off, and Tony scrambles to repay the favour, running his hands up and down the alpha's sides. “Lay back,” Bucky orders him, nipping the side of his neck. Once Tony's obeyed, Bucky eases his sweats down past his hips, stroking his hand up Tony's thigh and letting his thumb dip into the crease of his groin. Tony whimpers and rolls his hips up into the touch, moaning when Bucky rolls against him in the process of getting his own pants off.

 

Bucky braces a hand on the mattress by Tony's head, his other hand sliding up Tony's body until his thumb brushes against the omega's nipple. He grins at the sounds that elicits and flicks his finger against the hard nub, dipping his head to nip and suck at the other side of his chest. In a few minutes he has to move his other hand down past Tony's stomach, pressing his hand down against his pelvis to hold him against the mattress. Tony bucks up against the touch but doesn't put in the required effort to free himself, so Bucky doesn't bother moving his hand.

 

Tony rolls his head to the side when Bucky starts sucking a mark into his collarbone. Bucky mouths across the base of Tony's neck to nip at his other shoulder, setting his teeth into the skin but not breaking it. So far Tony seems to like the slight roughness that Bucky's including, and the alpha starts to keep a less than perfect watch on Tony's body language and tone of voice. He drops his hips and rolls against Tony's erection for the first time, and the omega gasps breathlessly at the sensation.

 

“You like that?” Bucky asks, whispering in his ear. “Like knowing I want you for more than your body, for more than anything you can give me in bed?” His hand on Tony's pelvis slips lower, and he grasps the omega's cock in his hand. Tony arches up into his touch with a strangled yell, trying to hold back his scream of pleasure. “Shout for me baby, as loud as you want to. I wanna know if you like it.”

 

“Oh, god, Bucky, yes,” Tony begs. “I want more. Alpha, please.”

 

“So you want me to fuck you, huh?” Bucky asks, nipping and kissing at his throat and neck. “Want me to make you know who you belong to and who's gonna take care of you? You want me to be your alpha and make everyone else back off?” Tony makes an inarticulate noise that sounds very much like agreement. “Cause I want that. I want _you_. Make sure you know it, too. Treat you better than anyone ever has.”

 

“Please, Bucky, I want you. I want to be yours, I want to belong to you.”

 

“No no no,” Bucky chastises him gently. Tony whines, confused, and Bucky mouths at the corner of his jaw. “You don't belong to anyone, Tony Stark. I don't fucking care if I'm an alpha. Do you think we'd be doing this if it was the other way around? Maybe you'd want me if you were the alpha.” Judging by the strangled noise that is made, Tony would most likely agree with that statement. “Hmm, I didn't hear you.”

 

“Christ, yes, _Bucky_. I'd want you so bad. Want to know you were mine, want to have you for myself and get to keep you.” Tony moans and arches up into his touch when Bucky rolls his hips against him.

 

“Think you'd like that? Me being your little slut, waiting for you at the door all ready for you to fuck me open and make me scream for you? Wanna hear me forget everything I know except your name and your cock and the way you feel?”

 

“Fuck, yes. Yes, yes, yes. Do that to me, Bucky, please. I want you to take me.”

 

When everything's safe, sane, and consensual, there's not much Bucky can do to refuse. He growls under his breath and kisses Tony, harder and more possessive than before. “You want to be mine? Let everyone know who's fucking you through the mattress and filling you up till you can't breathe? Submit to me and need me more than anyone else?”

 

“Please, please, please.” Tony's nearly crying with need, precome pooling on his stomach from his leaking cock. “God, fuck, please!” He ruts against the thigh Bucky slots between his own, desperate for friction. “Bucky, I need you. I need to forget it hurt, I need it done right.”

 

“You don't let anyone touch you, ever, you hear me?” Bucky demands, nipping at his throat and grinding against him. “Don't let anyone fucking hurt you. Not even me. You understand? Nobody, ever.”

 

Tony moans at the display of protectiveness, his head falling back. “Yes, alpha. I understand. Please, Bucky, please, I can't keep waiting.”

 

Bucky makes little hushing noises, kissing Tony as he rummages one-handed through the top drawer of the bedside table. Once he finds the bottle he's looking for, he lubes his fingers before sliding his hand down, and wastes no time before pressing a finger against his entrance. The omega's body lets him in easily, and before long Bucky's pumping two fingers inside him, making sure he's spread. A third is added with no resistance, but Tony's writhing under him so hard, fucking himself on Bucky's fingers, that the alpha knows he's done all the prep that Tony can stand.

 

“I got you, baby, I promise,” Bucky murmurs, lining himself up. He presses the heel of his hand against Tony's pelvis to stop him from trying to take his cock too quickly, thrusting into Tony's body with shallow little thrusts of his hips until he's fully seated. The feeling of an omega clenching around him, both their bodies hot and sweaty, is one he'd forgotten until now, but his hormones and instincts are quickly reminding him.

 

He starts moving and Tony moans obscenely loud, his entire body arching off the bed and into Bucky's touch. Bucky speeds up a little, unable to help it when faced with Tony's eager begging. They settle into a rhythm quickly, and Tony can't help crying out with almost every thrust of Bucky's hips. It takes barely any time before Bucky can feel himself getting close to the edge, and he fists Tony's dick, smiling when the omega cries out and bucks up into his hand.

 

“You like that, sweetheart?” he asks, kissing the side of his neck. “Like knowing how desperate I am to take care of you and make you feel good?” Tony groans in reply, apparently having forgotten how to talk for the moment. “I'm gonna take such good care of you, I promise. Gonna make you feel better than you ever have, make sure nobody ever hurts you. You're mine. Mine to fuck, mine to protect, mine to take care of. Hey, baby, look at me, let me see you when you come.”

 

Tony's quiet when he comes, Bucky finds out. His breath hitches and he whimpers the alpha's name, his head pressed against the bed as he thrusts erratically into Bucky's hand. Even though he looks half out of his mind from his orgasm, he manages to roll his ass against Bucky's cock, mumbling a request for Bucky to come inside him. Bucky doesn't delay in obeying, thrusting hard and deep into Tony's body. Once he comes, he sags against Tony, planting his elbows on the bed to keep from putting too much weight on him.

 

Both of them are panting, and it takes a minute for them to catch their breath. Finally they start to breathe more normally, and Tony stretches out. His movement reminds Bucky that he's still sheathed inside the omega, and he carefully pulls out, resting a hand on Tony's hip and rubbing a circle into his stomach with his thumb. When he goes to kiss Tony, though, the omega turns his head away, biting at his lip.

 

“Hey, did I do something wrong?” Bucky asks, concerned. “I didn't hurt you, did I?”

 

“Of course not,” Tony hastily reassures him. “You... you were too good. I wanted it to be real. Especially what you said about keeping me. When you talked like a real alpha. It was so easy to forget about Ty and all the others. But once you drop me off at Malibu, we probably won't see each other for a long time.”

 

“S'okay, baby, I promise.” Bucky takes Tony's hand in his, lacing their finger together. “If you wanted this to be real, and not just something we're playing at for your dad, I would be honoured.”

 

“Don't say stuff like that.” Tony curls onto his side a little and avoids meeting his gaze. He tugs his hand out of the alpha's grasp and clenches it against his chest. “I don't want to hear it.”

 

“Are you afraid I'm just saying it to placate a stressed post-coital omega?” No sense in Bucky beating around the bush. “I'm not. Before you even started going into heat, I told you I would protect you no matter what. That won't change whether or not you want me as your alpha. When I said I wanted you, though, that was a hundred percent true.”

 

“You sure?” Tony asks, cautious and a little more subdued than Bucky's come to expect of him.

 

“C'mere, sit up,” Bucky requests. He pulls the omega into a sitting position near the edge of the mattress and wriggles until he can get off the bed. Tony's staring at him questioningly, his fingers tightening around a handful of blanket. Bucky gets down on his knees and cups Tony's hand in both of his. “Anthony Stark,” he murmurs, pausing to kiss the back of Tony's hand, “would you do me the inestimable honour of being my omega?”

 

“I – you're serious.” Tony looks stunned by this revelation. “Oh my god, you're _serious_. You actually want me?”

 

“Not because you're good in bed. Not because you're Stark's son and inheritor to one of the richest empires in the world and you'll spill secrets and give me benefits. Because you're a fucking dork, who laughs at Disney movies and yells at stupid people in horror movies and debates the science of the starship _Enterprise._ You're brilliant, not just in mind but in personality. You're not afraid of me, and you see me as Bucky rather than a poor traumatized vet or one of the leading special ops assets. And you have bewitched me, body and soul.”

 

“That sounds like it's from a movie,” Tony points out.

 

“ _Pride and Prejudice_ ,” Bucky admits. “It was part of the big finale where they confessed their undying love for each other and agreed to be together for the rest of their lives. Just saying.”

 

Tony can't help a quiet chuckle at that. “Okay,” he agrees, biting his bottom lip. He laughs and his smile widens, reaching his eyes now, and Bucky can't help but smile back. “I'll be your omega. Yours.”

 

Bucky surges up to kiss him, cupping his jaw in both hands. Tony makes a surprised noise, but his hands come up to rest on his alpha's hips. “I'll never hurt you, Tony, I promise. Sometimes people start out polite and kind but they turn into monsters that only want to tear you down to build themselves higher. You'll never get that treatment from me.”

 

“We can talk about it later,” Tony suggests. “If you're okay with holding me?” The shy, uncertain look is back in his eyes.

 

“I'd love to,” Bucky agrees instantly. “Clean up first?” Tony whines at the prospect, but they both know it's needed. While Tony goes to the bathroom to clean himself up, Bucky takes the comforter off his bed and finds a few extra blankets to replace it. He leaves the dirty blanket balled up on the floor and joins Tony in the bathroom, bringing their discarded clothes with him. Once they're done wiping themselves clean, Bucky puts an arm around Tony's shoulders and walks him back to the bedroom, letting him go ahead of him when they get to the doorway.

 

“Sure you're good with this?” Bucky asks. “I'll sleep in the couch if you want to change your mind?”

 

“Huh? No, I, unless you want to change your mind.”

 

“Not if you don't.”

 

“Then come to bed?”

 

“Yeah.” Bucky gets under the blankets and nudges a foot between Tony's ankles. “I didn't say that because I'm rethinking things or because I don't want you. Just know that you can change your mind whenever you want.”

 

“But I don't want to.”

 

At the omega's continued resistance, Bucky chuckles and kisses him briefly. “That is more than good enough for me.” He slide an arm across Tony's waist and pulls him close, totally unafraid of how Tony might take his affection now that they've defined things between them. “I'm fucked up, Tony. But I'm going to be the best I can for you.”

 

Tony blushes slightly and nuzzles the front of Bucky's shirt. “You're being so nice already.”

 

“Um, excuse you. That's probably the least nice thing I'll ever say to you.” Bucky decides the slight stretching of the truth is more than worth the soft laugh he gets from Tony. He shifts down a little so he can hold Tony more comfortably, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath of the smell of his hair. “We'll probably be up half the night if we sleep through the afternoon,” he pointed out.

 

“I'm okay with that if you are, alpha,” Tony replies, clearly half asleep already.

 

Bucky makes a funny kind of noise at the casual use of the title. “Yeah, darling, I'm okay with that.” This is definitely something that he could get used to, if Tony still wants him in the future. And Tony is quite obviously happy about the endearment, if the way he snuggles closer and hums under his breath is anything to go by.

 

As Bucky had warned, they do sleep through the afternoon. Once they're actually starting to wake up, Tony just curls closer, making a soft noise. Bucky kisses his forehead, smiling when Tony makes a face. Even though he's hungry, Bucky doesn't move except to tighten his grip around Tony. He switches their position a bit so that Tony is mostly underneath Bucky, and the alpha takes his time kissing Tony into wakefulness.

 

“Good afternoon,” he murmurs once Tony's awake enough to kiss back.

 

“Very good afternoon,” Tony replies quietly. He hasn't bothered to open his eyes all the way, and Bucky seems fine with that from what the omega can see of him. “Are we... Do you wanna... If Steve's here...”

 

“We can't keep it from him forever. If you don't want to tell him right now, I'm okay with that. But I won't hide it from him. Steve's okay with it. He told me not to do anything until we had you home with your dad. Until we knew you wouldn't fuck me just to try to get my protection or good will.”

 

“Not like those aren't bonuses. But you already said I'd have both those things. Part of it is because you're the only alpha to make sure I wanted them during my heat, instead of just taking me for themselves. Most of it is because you're what I've wanted in an alpha. You don't want me for what I can give you, you want me for who I am. And you were willing to back down or back off if that was what I wanted. I haven't had alphas treat me right in the past, but you're doing better than I could have asked.”

 

“And that won't ever change, I promise.”

 

“I know,” Tony replies with a fond little smile.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this took long enough. But we have fluff, and smut, and relationships being made. More of all of the above to come soon.


	4. Chapter 4

“Want food?” Bucky asks.

 

“Do I ever.”

 

Bucky laughs at his eager reply and presses one last kiss to his mouth before sitting up and moving the blankets aside. “Feel like joining me?” Tony makes a quiet little noise like he's thinking things over, but it isn't long before he's nodding and getting out of bed. It's obvious that he's checking Bucky out as the alpha strips to his boxers so he can get changed into a tee and jeans, and Bucky flashes him a grin. He stretches as they go out into the kitchen, locking his hands behind his neck.

 

“Got anything in mind that you want?” Bucky asks.

 

“Not really. 'M just hungry.” Tony leans against the counter as Bucky opens the fridge and goes through their available options.

 

“Pancakes and bacon?” Bucky asks, glancing over his shoulder at him. Tony gives a sound of desire and Bucky chuckles. “I guess that's a yes. Gonna be helpful?”

 

“Sure,” Tony answers quickly, straightening up. Bucky sets up the ingredients for pancakes and Tony starts on making the batter under his directions. It doesn't take long before the entire kitchen starts to smell like cooking food, and Bucky's stomach growls. Tony smiles at the sound and Bucky snaps a towel at him, grinning when the omega yelps and shoots him a dirty look.

 

“Mocking a hungry man? Rude.” Bucky drops the towel on the counter and advances on Tony, pressing his palms to the counter on either side of him. He leaned forward and kissed him, smiling into the kiss when he hears Tony's breath hitch. “You still want me?”

 

“I dunno. How do heats work?”

 

Bucky pulls back a little, a look of mingled puzzlement and concern on his face. “Did nobody ever tell you these things?”

 

“Um, no?”

 

“Tony Stark, genius billionaire, never had to go through sex ed. Maybe there's benefits to being rich.”

 

“Well, mom was never around and Howard wasn't exactly the kind to do the talk. And I didn't start with my heats until I was already in college.”

 

“So nobody ever told you how an alpha was supposed to treat you or how heats are supposed to work?”

 

“No. But I know how to make my alpha feel good. And that's all I ever needed before.”

 

At the information, Bucky sighed and slid an arm around his waist, kissing the side of his neck. “You need to know more than that, Tony. I have no idea what you're supposed to know as an omega, but I can get someone who knows. Maybe you could talk to Clint? He's probably the only other omega you know that I'd trust to give you advice.”

 

“You're gonna have your friend give me the sex talk?” Tony asks, making a bit of a face.

 

“Do you know an omega that you want to talk about it with?”

 

“I don't really know any omegas. Most of the people I hung around were alphas. Looking for a cock for my next heat.”

 

Bucky kissed him, keeping it soft and gentle. “I want to treat you right, Tony. And that means you need to talk to an omega about the sex stuff.”

 

“That's what we're calling it, 'the sex stuff'?”

 

“Come up with a better name for it, punk,” Bucky teases him. “But seriously. I want you to know how all of this is supposed to work from another omega's point of view. From what I've heard, nobody's ever treated you the way you should have been treated. And I want to be the exception.” He leans forward and kisses him, keeping it chaste and pulling back when Tony tried to deepen it. “If you want me to have sex with you again, you need to talk with Clint or someone. Okay?”

 

“You're bribing me,” Tony accuses.

 

“I want to make sure that you know how this is supposed to work. Want to make sure that you get the info that's part of preparing for a healthy relationship.”

 

“Or you could just fuck your slutty little omega like you're supposed to.”

 

“Tony,” Bucky snaps at him. For a moment the omega looks shocked, then defensive. “You don't ever talk about yourself like that. Do you understand me? Never. Maybe you've been used in the past, but that stops now. _Right now._ Understand?”

 

“For now,” Tony mutters.

 

“Not just for now. For as long as you want me, okay? I'm not gonna drop you just because you're not horny after your heat is over. Everything I said, I meant it.”

 

“Somehow I doubt that.”

 

“Hey,” Bucky murmurs. Pulling back a little, he takes Tony's hand in his and rubs his thumb across the back of Tony's hand. “I want you. For as long as you want me. And I'm gonna make sure that people treat you right as long as you're with me, even if I'm not your alpha. Okay?”

 

“Okay,” Tony murmurs.

 

Bucky leans forward and kisses him, claiming his mouth with his own and pressing against him. “I want you,” he tells him. “You are intelligent and brave and handsome, and I want you to be mine for as long as you want that too.”

 

Tony finally smiles, and even if it's a small one, Bucky is glad to see it. “Yeah, okay,” he agrees. “Food might be burning.” He grins when Bucky curses and pulls back, yanking the pancake skillet off the stove. The first pancake is burnt, but not too badly, and they keep a better eye on the rest of them. Although there is a fair amount of making out while they're waiting.

 

Finally they get all the food together, and Bucky steers Tony over to the couch rather than the table. They sit down side by side, and Tony snuggles against his alpha as they eat, curling his legs underneath him. It's a lot more comfortable than Bucky would have expected. Once they're done, he puts both their plates on the coffee table and guides Tony to lay down on the couch, laying close beside him with his nose buried in the omega's hair.

 

“Hi, gorgeous,” Bucky murmurs. “You're so beautiful, you know that? I wanna know every inch of you and let you know how good it's gonna feel. Want you to know how much I want you to be safe and happy.” Tony presses against him, obviously soaking up the affectionate words. Once Bucky brushes a hand through his hair, rubbing his fingertips across his scalp, he totally relaxes and makes a soft noise of contentment. Bucky chuckles at the sound and presses a light kiss to his forehead.

 

“Mm?” Tony murmurs, leaning into the touch.

 

“You're just so adorable. I'm petting you, Tony, you do know that.”

 

“Do you wanna stop?”

 

“No, no, no,” Bucky soothes him. “I like doing this, Tony. I like taring care of you.” He presses a chaste kiss to Tony's soft lips. “You're special. Very special. And if you want me to take care of you like this, I would be more than happy to.”

 

“So it's really not about the sex?” Tony asks, sounding a bit startled.

 

“Of course not. I want you. Not for your money or your name or your body.”

 

“I haven't heard that in a while. Maybe ever.”

 

Bucky kisses him again, taking his time and licking his way into the omega's mouth. He finally pulls away to breathe and they're both panting. “I don't want you for anything physical that you can give me. You could be homeless and disowned, and I would come running to you if you needed me.”

 

Tony takes the initiative this time, reaching up to kiss him. Bucky lets him take control of the kiss, one hand moving up his side so he could splay his fingers across his upper ribcage. It's a while before they start to slow down, not that Bucky has any problem with that. He presses a last kiss to Tony's lips and pulls back a little, smiling when Tony whines softly under his breath.

 

“Let's take it slow,” Bucky requests. “I'm not going to disappear after we get you to Malibu. You're not going to be under house arrest. We'll still be able to see each other, and I'd feel a little better knowing that you have someone else you can rely on for protection.”

 

“I'm not offering myself because I want to be protected!”

 

“Yeah, I know. It's just hard for me to trust people. Nothing personal, just an aftereffect of what Hydra did to me. Tony, I like you, and I want you. But I haven't had a serious relationship in over a decade. Gonna have to take it slow.”

 

“As long as you're okay.”

 

“Promise,” Bucky reassures him. “I'm all right. I just want to make sure I don't move too fast, or miss anything. And you also need to talk to Clint.”

 

“The sex talk?”

 

“The sex talk.”

 

“I barely know him. He seemed weird.”

 

“Well, you know, he kind of is. But he's saved my life more than once and he's great in combat. And he and his alpha have a really good relationship. I want you to see an example of what you've been missing out on before we start trying for some kind of relationship of our own.”

 

“Cause I'm too much of a slut to be a good partner?”

 

“Uh, what?” Bucky blinks in surprise. “I never said that. What do you mean, Tony?”

 

“You just keep saying that you want me to meet another omega, that you want me to know what I'm getting into and everything. Just because I whored myself out for every alpha looking for a hole to fuck doesn't mean that's all I know how to do.”

 

“Hey, Tony, I never said that. It's just that alphas have hurt you in the past, and apparently none of them ever bothered to make sure that you knew what you were getting into. And I don't want to be like that. I won't be like that. Should you want something with me, it's going to be done right. I _will not_ hurt you, for anything, just like I won't let anyone else hurt you. Tony, I just want you to be safe in whatever relationship we have.”

 

Tony pulls away, his body language closed off now. “Now that? I don't know how to do that.” He gets up and leaves Bucky on the couch, slipping into the bedroom and half-closing the door behind him.

 

Bucky shifts so he's laying on his back and stares up at the ceiling, letting out a huff. Well, that ended just great. He'd told Tony he wanted him to be safe and the omega had left. That isn't what Bucky's used to when he's talking with someone. After you've left an abusive relationship, it's easy to believe that people don't care about your safety, especially if you've been in more than one. Outright denying that you know how to be safe in a relationship? More red flags are going up than Bucky can count.

 

“Naaat,” Bucky whines into the phone a moment later.

 

“You sound like a toddler, Barnes. What is it?”

 

“Hey so you remember that I told you about Tony, right?”

 

“I remember. Who's freaking out?”

 

“Uh, both of us, I think. I said something and he got all distant and now he's hiding in my room.”  
  


“Okay, what did you say?”

 

“We were making out on the couch and I told him that I wanted him to talk to Clint because he's never had a healthy alpha-omega relationship before. I'd mentioned stuff like that a couple times before but he'd just kind of passed it off. But then he started going on about how he was a slut and a whore and that he didn't know how to be safe in a relationship. And I'm scared for him, Nat, because as far as I know he's never had a single good alpha in his life.”

 

“So you were making out with an abuse victim who is probably also a rape victim. And you informed him that you wanted him to find out what a normal relationship looked like. Past relationships on his part have been uniformly toxic. From his perspective, you only want him for a fucktoy regardless of what you've told him, and now he probably thinks that you want to design some sense of normalcy so that he'll depend on the one person that's never tried to rape or abuse him. Because you suggested Clint as someone to talk to, it would be easy for him to believe that you're feeding Clint lines so that Tony's idea of a relationship is what you want it to be.”

 

“He's afraid I'm going to gaslight him so I can keep him as a toy and convince him that everything I'm doing to him is normal.”

 

“More or less, yeah.”

 

“Fuck.”

 

“That's one thing you probably shouldn't do.” At the silence that follows, Natasha sighs. “You fucked him, didn't you?”

 

“Yeah. He's in heat and he said he wanted to know what sex felt like when it was done right and when it felt good, and I couldn't help it. I wanted to be able to give him that. And I did, and he said yes when I asked to be his alpha. Which I only did because he said he wanted that. But I thought I could handle it and that he'd be okay with talking to Clint. I told him I want to go slow, and he knows a little bit about what happened with Hydra, so he understands that. S'just strange to me that I told him I wanted to protect him and he heard that I want to hurt him.”

 

“Because you're unfamiliar with that.”

 

“I know I used to be the same way, Nat. But, I mean, Hydra kinda fucked me up, y'know? And I'm not saying that Tony is okay. Just didn't think that it was this deep. How do I fix this?”

 

“Well, Tony needs to keep hearing that the relationship is on his terms. You need to do as he asks, whether it's to speed up or slow down or anything in between. And you need to give him a little space, but you need to approach him with something he'll want. Food, affection, something you promised him earlier, something you were in the middle of doing. Be ready for him to be a little distant or to ask you to go, and keep an eye on his body language.”

 

“Okay, anything else?”

 

“About it. Now are you done?”

 

“Clint's home?”

 

“You got it. Bye-bye, Barnes.”

 

“Bye, Nat, and thanks.” Since Nat hangs up without another word, Bucky turns his phone off and sets it on the coffee table within reach. He isn't tired since he and Tony were sleeping most of the day, but most of the things he'd entertain himself with are in his bedroom, and he doesn't want to invade Tony's privacy. Even if the omega did hide in his space. After he cleans their plates up, he turns on the tv and surfs through the channels until he find something mildly interesting, keeping the volume as low as he can. Once the next episode and a half of the History channel is finished, he decides to check on Tony. He grabs his phone, selects a DVD case from the collection, then goes into the kitchen to get a couple chocolate bars and some bottled drinks. There's no sound from inside his bedroom, but he knocks and waits for Tony to reply before he opens the door and sticks his head inside.

 

“Tony,” he murmurs sadly. His omega is curled up on top of the covers with a spare blanket tugged around his shoulders, obviously emotional. “Can I come in?” A nod is all he gets in reply, and he crosses the floor to the bed, sitting down on the edge. “I didn't mean to upset you, and I'm sorry.” This time he gets a quiet 'okay', and he holds out the chocolate and movie case. “Brought you a present.”

 

It seems like Tony is curious despite himself. He hesitates a moment before reaching out to take the offerings. “Chocolate and a movie?”

 

“Chocolate is one of the best cures for any problem. And it's one of the next movies we were supposed to watch. I can go if you want me to, but I want to try to make things right and apologize for what I did.”

 

“Nah, that was just me being freaked out.”

 

“Tony. Anything you feel is valid. I'm sorry that I upset you. Just because I didn't mean to doesn't mean I didn't. Do you want me to stay or go?”

 

“Stay, please,” he requests. Bucky gets into bed the rest of the way and puts a hand on Tony's hip, moving slowly and keeping an eye on his body language. The omega snuggles close, like he can't help seeking out the comfort. “I'm sorry,” he apologizes, curling in on himself and stiffening slightly. “Do you have to punish me?”

 

“What? Absolutely not,” Bucky answers immediately. “I'm never going to punish you for anything.”

 

“And that's why I can't trust you,” Tony snaps back. “I don't want you to act like the perfect alpha until I accidentally push you too far and you lash out at me for something I did without knowing it. S'gonna hurt enough from you punishing me, I don't need the betrayal.”

 

“I won't ever hurt you intentionally, Tony,” Bucky promises. “Once in a while I might snap. But I will never harm you in cold blood. And I will give you every possible chance to get away from me when things get hot. That's as much as I can offer you, sweetheart.”

 

“Good enough for me,” Tony replies. “That's the best offer I've gotten from anyone before.”

 

“Do you trust me to never harm you on purpose? It's okay if you say 'no'.”

 

“Just because I want something to be true doesn't mean it is.”

 

“So you want to trust me but you don't think you can because of Ty and the others?”

 

“Basically.”

 

“Then I'll just have to prove myself to you.” Bucky tilts Tony's chin toward him and kisses him, soft but possessive. “I want to prove myself to you. You're going to have a hard time of it for a little while, dealing with everything's that happened to you. But I want to help you with whatever comes your way.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah, darling, always.”

 

“I want to believe you.”

 

“Well, you don't have to right away. But in time, I hope you will.”

 

“Is that really good enough for you?”

 

“Yep,” Bucky agrees. “If you want a relationship, it's at your pace. And if you want to cut it off, that's your choice too.”

 

“Geez, what kind of alpha are you?”

 

“The right kind. Will you forgive me for making you upset?”

 

“Sure. You brought me chocolate, after all.”

 

Bucky laughs and presses a kiss to his forehead. “Do you want to watch a movie or just keep quiet?”

 

“Movie?”

 

“Yeah, sounds great.” Tony snuggles back against the headboard as Bucky grabs his laptop and sticks the DVD in. He gets into bed and puts an arm around Tony's shoulders before settling the laptop on their thighs and pressing 'play' on the menu. Bucky skipped a few movies in their line, but _Lilo and Stitch_ is probably the one with the message that Tony needs to hear right now.

 

As the movie starts, Tony curls close, resting his head on Bucky's shoulder. They might have slept half the day, but that doesn't mean he isn't tired emotionally. He'd obviously expected to be punished for his outburst, and Bucky knew firsthand how hard that was on someone. It also makes him even more determined to help Tony realize how a real alpha acts. Everything will stay on Tony's terms, as Bucky had promised, but he doesn't want to act anything like Ty had.

 

When the movie ends, Tony twists in Bucky's hold and kisses him. Bucky responds eagerly, deepening the kiss before pulling back. He rests his forehead against Tony's and smiles faintly. Tony doesn't notice it since his eyes are closed, but he's relaxed against Bucky's body in a way he hasn't yet unless he's half asleep. Both of them stay like that for some time, until Bucky reaches to move his laptop to the floor. Once he's back on the bed, Tony slips a thigh across his legs and straddles him, rolling his hips against him as he dips his head to kiss him.

 

“Hello there,” Bucky murmurs between kisses.

 

“I liked the movie,” Tony replies. “And I want to talk about talking to Clint.”

 

“Good. I mean, I'm glad that you want to. And I'm not going to tell him to tell you what I want you to think is normal. He's pretty impossible to rein in unless he wants to behave, and that's not too common. But honestly, Tony, I don't want you for some kind of plaything, and I'm not trying to get you to rely on me so I can trap you in a relationship you don't want.”

 

Tony cups Bucky through his jeans, smiling at the hitch in the alpha's breath. “I believe you.” He slid his hand to Bucky's thigh and squeezed a little, his thumb pressing against the inside of his leg close to his cock. Bucky spread his legs a little on instinct, unable to help lifting his hips into Tony's touch. “And I want to fuck you. Please?”

 

“Definitely,” Bucky murmurs, cupping his hand across the back of Tony's neck and pulling him down for a kiss. He palms Tony's crotch and shifts his hands to the zipper of his jeans, pulling them down past his hips. Both his hands slide up the sides of the omega's body, tugging his shirt up until he manages to pull it off. Tony scrambles to return the favour, removing Bucky's shirt and kissing a line down Bucky's neck until he dips his head enough to suck at the dip of his collarbone.

 

“How do you want me, alpha?” Tony asks, grinding against him.

 

Bucky rolls over so Tony is underneath him, smiling to himself as the omega's breath catches. He sucks and nips a mark into the side of his neck, letting his weight rest against Tony's hips. Tony whimpers slightly as Bucky nudges his legs apart and slides his boxers off, unable to help an aborted jerk of his hips. Bucky swats his thigh lightly and straddles him, kissing him more deeply as he slides a finger inside the other man's body. At the intrusion, Tony moans into the kiss, pressing into Bucky's touch and growling softly to himself when it isn't enough.

 

“Shush,” Bucky tells him. “I'm going to take care of you. Put your hands behind your head?” Tony can refuse if he likes, since it's a question and not an order, but he does as told. He makes a gorgeous sight, in his alpha's opinion. Bucky adds another finger, kissing Tony to muffle the whines and moans coming from him. Despite Tony's obvious desire, Bucky takes his time making sure he's ready, and when he pulls his hand away, the omega whimpers under his breath.

 

“Please,” Tony begs, his hips jerking up. His hands are still behind his head, but Bucky's willing to bet that the omega's dying to touch himself.

 

“Would you stay like this?” Bucky asks, his hands planted on either side of Tony's head as he looks down at him. “If I told you to stay right there and not touch yourself, would you do it until I gave you permission to move?”

 

“Yes, sir,” Tony answers quietly.

 

“Then I better make sure I take care of you,” the alpha replies. Unlike before, he doesn't hold Tony still as he slides in, and the omega squirms and clenches desperately around his cock, trying to take it faster. “Easy, sweetheart, easy. I'm gonna make sure I take care of you. Just lay back and let me make you feel good, okay?”

 

In response, Tony groans incoherently and thrusts his hips up against Bucky's. He keeps his hands behind his head, but he hardly stays still, at least until Bucky gets a hand around his dick and pumps it in the same rhythm as his thrusts. Tony's head falls back and he moans, letting Bucky take him as desired. Since Tony obviously has no problem with his behaviour, the alpha starts fucking him harder, making sure not to hurt him but not being so careful as before. At the increased pace and pressure, Tony whines and grinds down against him, letting out little gasps at the intensity.

 

Bucky shifts a little, experimenting with angles and searching for Tony's sweet spot. When the omega cries out, breathless with pleasure, Bucky grins and leans down to kiss him. It seems like he'd found what he was looking for. He sets a hard, fast rhythm and does his best to nail Tony's prostate with every thrust. Judging by the new tone in Tony's moans and yells, he's doing a pretty good job. This time Tony screams Bucky's name as he comes, and Bucky fucks him through his orgasm as he chases his own release.

 

“Tony,” he gasps, claiming his omega's mouth in a messy kiss just moments before he comes. He moans into the kiss as Tony clenches around his cock, soon panting against his cheek as he waits to get his breath back. “You're amazing,” he murmurs, one hand curling around Tony's hip and the other brushing through his hair. For a moment neither of them move, but then Bucky pulls out and presses one last kiss to Tony's mouth before he gets out of bed. It only takes him a minute to come back from the bathroom with a warm, damp towel, but Tony's already half asleep.

 

“Sorry,” he mumbles, stretching out a little when he sees Bucky and making an effort to sit up.

 

“No problem,” the alpha reassures him, sitting on the edge of the bed. He wipes Tony's stomach down and leaves the rag on the floor, then goes in search of clothes for the two of them. Tony yawns quietly, wiping at his eyes with the heel of his hand, then sits up and watches Bucky move around the room. In a few minutes, Bucky's dressed in boxers and has a hoodie in his hand, which he presents to Tony as a gift. Apparently it's a very appreciated move, because Tony grins at him once he's wearing the hoodie, the sleeves covering half his palms and the oversized clothing swamping his figure. Bucky laughs at the sight he presents and kisses him, chaste compared to before. He gets into bed, pulling the covers up, but holds out a hand when Tony moves to lay down. The omega watches him, puzzled, as Bucky gets into bed and sits back against the headboard.

 

“C'mere,” Bucky requests, patting the sheets between his legs. Tony sits between them, his back to Bucky's chest. “Is this good?” Bucky asks, resting his chin on the other man's shoulder. He gets a nod in reply and leans back comfortably, putting his arms around Tony's waist to hold him close. Before long Tony is obviously on the way to falling asleep, and once he's out, Bucky reaches for his phone, careful not to jostle him. Navigating the menus is a little hard with one hand, but he manages to get the camera open and props his chin on Tony's shoulder, smiling at the screen as he snaps the picture.

 

 _Stevie, can I keep him?_ he texts, sending the image.

 

 _You're getting attached_ , Steve replies, and Bucky can practically hear the warning.

 

 _He can cut things off after we get him home if he wants, but for now he needs an alpha_.

 

_All right. I'll bring home dinner._

 

Bucky sends a quick thanks, along with a pizza emoji and a question mark. He doesn't get an answer, but Steve's probably in some kind of meeting, so he lets the lack of communication slide. After all, he probably should be paying more attention to the omega that's asleep in his arms. Tony is passed out, and Bucky slumps down a little more so he can get to sleep as well. It's more comfortable than he had expected, but that's hardly something he's going to complain about. Months have passed since his last encounter with an omega, and Tony is not only handsome but in possession of a unique and vibrant personality. While he'd never admit it, Bucky is becoming intensely interested in him.

 

Tony wakes Bucky up with the whimpering from his nightmares. Even though the alpha is still half asleep himself, he rubs a hand up and down Tony's side, his fingers moving up to curl in the omega's hair as he mumbles quietly to try to get him to wake up. When Tony wakes up, he jerks in Bucky's hold, tensing and giving voice to a little whine of fear but not trying to move away.

 

“It's me, Tony, it's Bucky. You're okay, I got you. Use your words, tell me where we are and who you're with.”

 

“We're... we're in your bedroom, you're Bucky. My alpha. I, am I safe?” Tony had relaxed the slightest amount upon hearing Bucky's voice, but his body still feels like it's made of wire and metal instead of an actual human being.

 

“Yeah, you're safe. He can't get to you. It's okay, sweet boy, I'm gonna keep you safe.” Bucky curls his hand around Tony's bicep, rubbing a circle into the skin on top of his shoulder with his thumb. Tony's still a little stiff, but not to the point that Bucky's worried about him. As Bucky keeps talking to him, he shifts sideways in his hold a little, curling up in his lap and hooking an ankle over his calf. For a while neither of them move too much, but eventually Tony sniffs and moves to get out of bed. While Bucky steadies him until he's standing, he lets the omega go off as he pleases.

 

Once Tony's gone, Bucky gets up himself. He puts on a pair of sweatpants and a size-too-large long-sleeved shirt, picking old clothes that will be comfortable not only for him but for anyone who may or may not decide they need a hug. When he goes out into the living room, he sees that the bathroom door is shut, and he'd bet it's locked as well. Rather than letting Tony know that he's there, he goes into the kitchen and fills up the cordless tea kettle sitting on the counter and gets a few packets of hot chocolate. If Tony needs comfort, the warm drink will help.

 

Almost an hour passes before Tony comes out of the bathroom. His arms are crossed across his stomach and he looks nervous and unsettled. Once his eyes flicker up to Bucky's face, he glances down at the floor. It isn't clear to Bucky what he expects to happen, but from previous experiences, he'd bet that Tony isn't optimistic about the outcome.

 

“Hey, Tony. You want something hot?”

 

“You think you're all that, huh?” Tony smirks, but the expression doesn't reach his eyes. He comes over to Bucky and stands in front of him, glancing down at where the alpha's sitting on the couch. “Wanna prove it?”

 

Bucky snorts. “No, Tony. Sit down.” He gets the mugs of hot chocolate from the kitchen and puts one in Tony's hands before sitting down himself. “C'mere.” When Tony slides over, Bucky swats down the hand placed on his thigh and puts an arm around his shoulders. “Tell me how bad you're feeling.”

 

“I dunno.”

 

“Okay.” Bucky doesn't ask for any more information, simply hugging Tony to his side. If the omega doesn't want to talk, Bucky won't make him, but he's also not going to leave him on his own unless he's asked to do so. And Tony is certainly sticking close, so it's not like his desires are unclear. The only time Bucky gets up is when both of their mugs are empty, and he just sticks them in the sink before coming back into the living room and kneeling in front of Tony.

 

“Can you talk about it, babe?” he asks quietly. Tony shakes his head, biting at his lip, and Bucky presses his thumb against the omega's bottom lip when he sees a hint of blood. “Don't hurt yourself. Wanna stay here or go somewhere else?”

 

“Wanna go back to bed,” Tony mumbles. Bucky curls his hands around Tony's and stands up, guiding the genius to his feet. He wraps Tony in a hug, nosing the side of his neck and breathing in his scent. “You are so amazing. I can't even say. And you are safe here, no matter what. Whatever happens, I will make sure that you are safe.” Reassurance seems to be enough to get Tony to go to bed, and Bucky curls around him in a warm grip, letting the omega clutch a pillow to his chest.

 

Steve wakes them up when he trips coming in the front door. Tony startles into the realm of the living, lashing out briefly before realizing where he is. Bucky shushes him before he can apologize, and once he's sure that Tony won't spontaneously do so, he kisses him softly and asks if he wants to go eat. Even though Tony looks a little uncertain, he nods, waiting for Bucky to get out of bed before following him. He seems a little shyer around Steve than he had been before, and sticks close to Bucky's side.

 

“Tony and I have something to tell you,” Bucky says, the moment the three of them are sitting down at the table. Steve looks up, a piece of pizza halfway to his mouth and a quizzical expression on his face. “I asked to be Tony's alpha and he said yes.” Bucky glances over at Tony, who's blushing faintly and looking down at his plate. “And he is the most amazing man that I have ever seen.” With that, the omega really does blush, dipping his head shyly.

 

“I'm glad for you,” Steve says. “The two of you are great guys. Bet you'll be really happy together.”

 

Bucky grins. “Thanks, Stevie.” When Tony quietly echoes the sentiment, Bucky reaches over and puts a hand over his. Even if the contact isn't much, he seems to like it. It isn't long before the three of them start eating, and since they're all hungry, the two pizzas that Steve brought home are gone pretty soon.

 

“What kind of plans do you two have?” Steve asks once they're done eating and the plates are all put in the dishwasher. The three of them are standing in the kitchen, Bucky and Tony leaning against the countertop and Steve against the kitchen island.

 

“Honestly, we haven't really talked about that too much,” Bucky admits. “But I know I want to take care of him and make sure nobody can ever hurt him again. I know he's amazing and he deserves all the happiness in the world, but if that doesn't include me, I'll be okay with that. Tony is his own person, and I just want to make sure he's safe. And he doesn't have to offer me anything in return.”

 

“All right, that sounds good to me. I'm happy that you two have found something with each other. But if you two are getting frisky, keep it quiet, okay?” He's grinning but both Bucky and Tony blush at the thought of Steve hearing them.

 

“Yeah, definitely,” Bucky agrees. “Nobody needs to hear that. We won't be loud while you're around.” Although they probably wouldn't be doing much of anything when Steve was in the apartment with them. Him knowing what they were up to would be awkward enough, especially since Tony seemed like a shy and quiet person.

 

“Really though, I am happy for you,” Steve said. “And I have some good news of my own. Nick Fury is the director of the organization our special ops team is affiliated with. He has a lot of contacts and a lot of power. We managed to send a message to the people that your dad is with and we think we managed to get in touch with him. If we're right, he should be back in the states within a week.”

 

Bucky whoops in happiness. Tony blinks at Steve, a hopeful expression growing. “Seriously?”

 

“Seriously,” he confirms. “He'll be flown directly here as soon as possible, then Bucky and I will head the team making sure that you and your father get to Malibu. And since Hydra is involved, and the security system your dad has is electronic only, at least three of us are going to be there at all times.”

 

“Then Bucky and I get to stay together.” When Steve nods in agreement, Tony grins. “Steve, thank you.”

 

At that, Bucky grins and hugs him tightly. “We're gonna keep you safe, sweetheart. Okay?” Tony nods, smiling, and Bucky tilts his chin up to kiss him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter came out quickly. Although the next update will take a bit longer, because I do have a few other fics that I need to update. Shouldn't take too long, however!


	5. Chapter 5

Bucky and Tony curl up on the couch together after dinner, Bucky brushing his fingers through the omega's hair and letting his other hand curl over his hip. He's noticeably a bit more tactile and affectionate now that he isn't concerned about their contact being cut off after a week. Tony is also a little more open with the fact that he likes Bucky's attention, and Steve can't help but smile at the two of them. Once he checks to make sure that the kitchen is clean and the coffeemaker is ready for the next morning, he slips into his room and leaves the two alone.

 

“Didn't you say that Clint worked with you?” Tony asks quietly. The two of them had been laying quietly together for a few minutes before he broke the silence, and he rubs the hem of Bucky's shirt between his thumb and forefinger as he waits for a reply.

 

“Yeah. Why?”

 

“Can he be on the Malibu guard?”

 

“Sure. Him and Natasha both if you want. Got something in mind?”

 

“I'd like to talk to him.”

 

“And you want to wait until we get to Malibu?”

 

“Not for all of it. But if I trust him I want to talk about other stuff.”

 

“Great. I'll ask him to come over soon if you're okay with that,” Bucky offers. Tony nods a little and nuzzles the base of Bucky's throat. After making a mental note to get in touch with Clint sometime that night, Bucky rubs his hand up Tony's side and curls his fingers in the omega's hair. Not long after that, it's obvious that the omega is starting to doze off, and Bucky nudges him. “Let's get you to bed, huh?”

 

“Mm,” Tony murmurs, nosing his neck.

 

Bucky snorts softly and nudges him as he gets up. “C'mon, let's go.” He gets Tony to his feet and steers him into the bedroom, tugging the omega's pants off and getting him under the covers. Once he has the other man situated, he climbs in bed and spoons against him, putting an arm over his waist and closing his eyes. Getting in touch with Clint will have to wait for later, but a night's wait isn't going to make any difference.

 

When morning comes, Bucky wakes to Tony curled up against him, much in the same way as the first time they'd ended up sleeping together. He slides his arm back across the omega's waist and presses a kiss to his forehead. Tony makes a soft noise in his sleep and nuzzles closer. Bucky grins and kisses him again, this time on his mouth. At that, Tony shifts closer in his sleep, but it looks like he's starting to wake up.

 

“Good morning,” Bucky murmurs as Tony's eyes open. The omega offers a shy smile in return and tilts his head back so he can kiss Bucky back. “How are you?”

 

“I'm good,” Tony replies. “You?”

 

“Doing pretty well. You want breakfast?”

 

“Yes, alpha,” he replies quietly, kissing the corner of Bucky's jaw.

 

“Trying to keep me in bed?” Bucky asks, amused.

 

“Should you want.”

 

“And do you want that?”

 

“Hmm,” Tony murmurs, mouthing at Bucky's throat. “Maybe.”

 

Bucky makes a humming noise of approval and shifts, rolling against Tony's body and dipping his head to claim his mouth in a kiss. They stick to kissing, with admittedly wandering hands, for a good twenty minutes for Bucky shifts to put his weight on top of Tony. After that things move forward quickly, especially since Tony is openly inviting Bucky into his body. Once they've both come, Bucky sags over Tony's body, panting to catch his breath as he noses at the omega's cheek.

 

Tony doesn't even try to move. He keeps his hands to himself until Bucky slides his fingers between his and guides his hand to curl over his hip. Once his access is granted, Tony slides both hands to Bucky's hips, tentatively holding him closer as Bucky kisses him through his post-orgasmic pleasure. Eventually they both lay still, Bucky at Tony's side rather than on top of him. While they've only had sex a few times, it's clear to the alpha that his partner loves the after-sex affection, and he's happy to provide.

 

“Wanted to thank you,” Tony murmurs, sliding an ankle between Bucky's calves.

 

“Oh?”

 

“For the way you treat me. You never let it hurt.” Tony knows that Bucky is stronger than him, and so does the alpha. Regardless of the fact that Bucky could take him in any way desired, the few times that Bucky's noticed his grip being a little too strong or his actions otherwise being even slightly unpleasant for his omega, he's always readjusted to his lover's preferences.

 

“You're very welcome,” Bucky assures him, giving him one last kiss. “How about we get some food, huh?” Tony nods but doesn't make any move to get up until Bucky does. Even though the omega is perfectly capable of taking care of himself, Bucky slides his hands over his body, helping him finish dressing before leading the way into the kitchen.

 

“Got anything in particular you're hungry for? We have an utterly insane amount of Lucky Charms but I'm pretty sure we could find other stuff.”

 

Tony smiles, dipping his head to hide it as he's prone to do. “I'm fine with anything.” He'd never been particularly picky when it came to his food. Bucky had quickly figured that out, but he always kept an eye out for signs that Tony enjoyed some foods more than others. At the moment he doesn't really feel like cooking anything, so he just pulls down a couple boxes of cereal and sets them on the counter in front of Tony.

 

“I was thinking about asking Clint to come over for lunch,” he mentions as he gets a couple of bowls and spoons out. “Feed him and you two can talk about things. And if you want, we can get his alpha Natasha to come over so you can ask her about her side of the relationship. Steve and I were going to spend the day out of the apartment if you needed the space to talk about stuff without holding back.”

 

“Yeah, that sounds good. Where will you be going?”

 

“Just to the lobby, common floor, or roof. Somewhere we'll be out of your way but easily able to come back without notice.”

 

“Okay. Sounds good,” Tony repeats, this time with more conviction. Bucky smiles and bumps the other man's knee with his own. He texts Clint once they're done with breakfast and gets a positive reply, which he relays to Tony and Steve.

 

“We'll clear out a few minutes after Nat and Clint get here. Make sure the three of you are okay with each other.” Bucky trusts all of them but he's never seen them together and wants to make sure there won't be any problems popping up. Tony murmurs a 'thank you' and Bucky kisses the top of his head. “You can call things off whenever you want, and you can refuse to answer any questions or talk about any topics that you don't want to. Okay?”

 

“Mmhm.” Tony leans into him, smiling a little when Bucky brushes a hand through his hair. Even though they finished eating, the two of them stay right where they are for a good while. Bucky finally gets up, putting the dishes away and going into his room to retrieve his laptop.

 

“Got some stuff I need to do but you're welcome to stick around,” he offers. Tony nods and joins him on the couch, curling up on the couch with his head butting against the side of Bucky's thigh and his back against the back of the couch. Bucky's hand moves to his head, fingers settling in the dark curls over his temple as he starts working on his computer. Working one-handed is no problem, especially when Tony rewards him with a pleased little noise under his breath that he doesn't even seem to notice he made.

 

Natasha shows up just after twelve thirty, with Clint and a one-eyed yellow dog in tow. Steve's been out most of the day but promises to meet Bucky on the common floor instead of going straight home, and Bucky doesn't sit back down after getting up to answer the door. He stays in the kitchen after introducing the three of them, giving them space to get acquainted while still giving Tony the option to call things off. After five or ten minutes, he takes his leave, after giving Tony an affectionate hug and reminding him to call if he needs anything.

 

“Bye,” Tony says, watching him go with a small smile. Clint holds a pizza box out to him and he grabs a few slices, murmuring a quiet thanks as he takes the plate that Natasha gives him. The three of them talk as they eat, but it's only small things, nothing important.

 

“So what did you want to talk about?” Natasha asks, setting her plate down on the coffee table.

 

“I don't know. Um, Bucky thinks that I've never had a responsible alpha or a stable relationship.”

 

“Really?” Clint asks. “That sucks.” He doesn't sound judgmental but Tony can't help but read into his tone. But then Clint continues, saying, “I know what that feels like. Went through half a dozen alphas when I was on my own and they were all pretty rough in some way or another.”

 

With that, Tony reconsiders his opinion of the other omega a bit. Clint might seem to be careless and problem-free, but it seems as though he worked hard to get to the stability he currently has. And from the way that Natasha moved her leg so it was across one of Clint's, in a not very subtle display of possession, she knows what he's been through. Tony can't help but be a little jealous, of both of them.

 

“Everyone has a bad alpha experience sooner or later,” Natasha tells them. “It might not be a potential mate, it might just be an authority figure of another type. But it isn't what the trauma does to you, it's how you decide to move past it. How you decide whether or not you're going to move past it. Now, Bucky hasn't told us anything about what happened, but I know your name and I know Tiberius Stone's reputation, both as a Hydra agent and as a civilian. People like that don't treat other people the right way. Am I right?”

 

“Geez, Nat, way to go for the throat right off the bat,” Clint protests.

 

“You're right,” Tony tells Natasha quietly. “And I knew it. But he was my only option, or someone just as bad as him.”

 

“How are you going to move past it?” she asks.

 

“I don't know. Never had the chance to try. But I want to do what I can. Don't want to go back to that.”

 

“That's good. I was harsh, yes, and I apologize for that. But if Bucky was only a temporary measure for you, a stopgap so you could get a cock during your heat and nothing else, then we wouldn't be the right people for you to talk to.”

 

“No, he's not that,” Tony protests. “He's good. And he wants me. I want this to be something safe, something that won't hurt me. So far that's what it's been.”

 

“Bucky wouldn't ever hurt you on purpose,” Clint says instantly. “He's not that kind of guy. I mean, he's in the military, he's special ops, and he doesn't hurt anyone unless he has to even when they're trying to kill him.”

 

“Has Natasha ever hurt you?”

 

“A couple times, but they were accidental. Mostly after nightmares, in the field, stuff like that. But she's never come to me with the intention of hurting me. I've never hurt her either.”

 

“What about when you were in heat?”

 

“Didn't change anything. I wanted it more, sure, and so does she when she's in rut. But if I told her no, she respected it. And if she told me no, I respected that to. Being in heat or in rut makes you want to have sex, but it isn't an all-consuming, mandatory need. The wrong kind of alphas just say it is and use that to their advantage. Mates aren't necessary, there's artificial distractions if you need them. Nat's happiness is more important than the way I get my satisfaction.”

 

“Are all omegas like this?”

 

“If they have a good alpha?” Natasha asks. “Then definitely. You've never felt that way about an alpha, have you?”

 

Tony just shook his head. “If they wanted something, they took it. Just how it worked.”

 

“No alpha should ever force themselves on you,” Clint shares. “Being your partner does not in any way give them permission to treat you any less respectfully than your parents or your best friend. And if they do, you need to leave them. You shouldn't tolerate it. It's hard, yeah, and sometimes you end up the worse for wear in the short term, but it's better in the end. Some alphas, if I'd stayed with them, would have ended up killing me. When I left, it was hard, and I was starving on the streets, but I didn't die because some drunk decided he could murder me and use my body.”

 

“Bucky would never do that to me,” Tony decides. “He's safe.”

 

“Yes, he is,” Natasha agrees. “But that doesn't mean that all alphas are. And you know that. If the two of you are really serious, you should take some time off from each other, maybe flirt around a bit. Hold everyone else to the same standard as Bucky, and it'll help you decide if you two could work out. If Bucky is really as special as you think he is. While you're with someone, up close and around them all the time, it's easy to forget their worse qualities.”

 

“Omegas aren't supposed to find another alpha while they still have one. Wouldn't leaving be disloyal?” Tony asks.

 

“Some people might say so,” Clint answers, shrugging as he reaches for another piece of pizza. “But hell, me and Nat did it. And nobody measured up to my Nat.” He smiles at her and she smiles back.

 

“Omegas aren't supposed to be possessive,” Tony reminds them quietly. “They don't get to claim things.”

 

“That's just bullshit,” Natasha informs him. “Clint's mine. He belongs to me and he's going to stay with me for as long as I can fight to keep him and he wants me. Just the same way that I'm his and I'm going to stay with him. It's a two way street. Me claiming him and not letting him have any hold on me, that wouldn't be healthy. You're an omega, not a slave. Every alpha-omega relationship has their own boundaries and level of what they let the omega get away with. Bucky's pretty damn lenient in that regard. So you need to ask him and make sure things are crystal clear rather than assuming he does or doesn't want anything.”

 

“But what if he gets angry? I don't want this to turn out like everything else just because I asked a few questions.”

 

“Tony, Bucky will never, ever hurt you of his own free will,” Clint tells him. “And if he's pissed enough, he'll just tell you to leave. I've seen it. Sometimes the missions we go on hit kinda close to home with everything that Hydra did to him. Buck will tell people to clear out or he'll go himself. He won't ever take it out on people, though. Even though he's a soldier, he's probably one of the least violent people I've ever met. Doesn't even yell at people unless they do something really stupid, and even then he usually makes some kind of apology, even if the other person doesn't deserve it.”

 

“He'd rather take it out on himself than on you,” Natasha summarizes. “And that's something you'll have to watch out for. Sometimes he's so determined that he punish himself without hurting the person he's close to, that he forgets that he can hurt them by trying not to hurt them.”

 

“Like Bucky and Nat,” Clint cuts in. “The two of them are alpha mates.” At that Tony blinks, not having expected that; alpha mates are similar to the standard alpha-omega relationship, but generally temporary help during a rut or other emotional time offered by a best friend. “One time Bucky had a real bad nightmare and lashed out at her when he woke up. Freaked himself out so much that he hurt her that he locked himself in a spare room and wouldn't come out for three days. When he finally did, he hadn't even realized that his self-imposed exile had wounded Nat too. Neither of them talked things out, he didn't offer an apology, and she didn't get an explanation. But he was only thinking of how to protect her physically and he totally missed out on the emotional aspect.”

 

“Which you never do,” Nat mentions.

 

“I'm working on it,” Clint protests.

 

“You let him talk back to you?” Tony asks, startled, automatically braced for screaming and hitting.

 

“That's not talking back,” Clint replies, raising an eyebrow. “Bucky was right, your alphas were shit.”

 

“Not the point here,” Natasha points out. “But yes, Tony, I do. If he was being truly disrespectful, I would let him know, but I wouldn't punish him for it. This case was more like teasing between friends rather than a case of backtalk. Clint is always free to voice his opinions, even if they're ones I don't want to hear. Sometimes I might tell him to shut up if it's bad timing, but in the end I'll always listen to him, or at least tell him why I can't at the moment.”

 

“Respect,” Tony realizes. “You two – you actually respect each other. Is that normal?”

 

“Unfortunately, the answer to that isn't too clear,” Natasha responds. “But every healthy relationship is based in mutual trust and respect and loyalty. Without those three things, you're off to a pretty bad start. Even polyamorous relationships have them, and they aren't conventional in most peoples' opinions. And while none of them show up at the beginning of the relationship, except for maybe respect, your relationship with someone will never work unless you have at least a little of all them.”

 

“It takes time,” Clint advises. “Like plants. You start out with a seed, and then there's a little sprout that comes out of the seed. And if you want the sprout to grow into a plant or vine or tree or whatever, you have to water it and give it good soil and fertilize the ground. Work goes into getting a healthy plant. Just like work goes into getting a healthy relationship. Slack off in either one and things can go downhill really fast.”

 

“So I should ask Bucky if we can buy a farm?” Tony quips.

 

Clint laughs at the joke. “Maybe not just yet. But honestly, getting a little houseplant or a cacti dish or something could be nice. Give you something to bond over. And you'll have to communicate whose turn it is to water it and stuff, and if you did it.”

 

“I'm going to gauge my first healthy relationship on who remembers to water a cactus,” Tony deadpans.

 

Natasha smirks. “In a way, yes. Bucky is always careful and considerate of things he cares about. And if he cares about you, he'll make an effort to take interest in things that you like. Tell him you enjoy a little light gardening and he'll probably buy you half a dozen plants. He'll put effort into making you like him and value him so that he has a chance at winning your affections. Plus, he needs to get outdoors more often anyways. Rooftop greenhouse would do him good.”

 

“There's a difference between a scraggly cactus on a windowsill and an entire roofwide garden, Tasha,” Clint says.

 

“Birdbrain,” Natasha mutters fondly.

 

“Spiderweb,” Clint retorts, grinning at her. At the name, she rolls her eyes and kicks lightly at his shin. “You probably think we're really weird, huh?” he asks Tony.

 

“Definitely. But if it's strange, I wouldn't want to be normal. Too many people have hurt me. I get that now. Somehow I'm getting a chance with someone who wouldn't do that, and if it means turning my roof into a greenhouse, I'd be happy to. Just don't know how a normal omega would act.”

 

“Well good, because Bucky's not a normal alpha,” Clint says bluntly. Natasha elbows him in the ribs hard enough to make him grunt and he glares at her. “It's true! Oh, I get it. Not, like, in a bad way, not normal,” he tells Tony. “He'd be a pretty perfect alpha to anyone that catches his attention. But apart from that, there's a lot you'll have to do that wouldn't come up in a standard relationship. PTSD, panic attacks, nightmares, temporary amnesia, fears and phobias and shit. Like we said, Bucky would never hurt you, but he doesn't process information like normal people do. He's had too much damage and too much trauma.”

 

“Can I help him with that?” Tony asks cautiously, uncertain if this topic is supposed to be off limits or not.

 

Natasha gives him a strange, thoughtful look. “I think you might be good for him,” she says at last. “All right, Stark. Listen up.” She starts explaining some of the basics of what being in a relationship with Bucky is like. Tony's unfamiliar with how to handle someone that's having a flashback or episode like Bucky is sometimes prone to, and he doesn't know the fundamental fears that the alpha's been unable to shake despite how long he's been free from Hydra. Fortunately Natasha knows everything, and she tells him enough that he won't jeopardize their relationship from the start by accidentally doing something to scare his alpha, or make Bucky relate the 'deep, dark parts of his personality', as Clint puts it. Practically none of it is things he'd thought about, which frustrates him until Natasha reminds him of the short time he's actually known the alpha compared to the decade-long span she's worked with him.

 

All in all, the three of them count their time together as a success. Clint and Natasha are important to Bucky, so it's fairly necessary that they get along with anyone he chooses to be in a relationship with. Tony has no idea how to be in a healthy relationship like the one the two of them model, and they answer everything he asks with total honesty. While he isn't exactly taking notes, it's a close thing, and they both offer to be readily available without him having to ask. Exchanging phone numbers is a natural next step, and Clint encourages Tony to text or call at any time of the day if he has a question or concern.

 

Bucky shows up a few minutes after they're done, looking both curious and a bit worried. The latter part disappears as soon as he sees that Tony's happy and at ease with the bonded pair. And Tony isn't shy about sharing that he's glad to see his alpha as well, because as soon as Nat gives him a little nudge in the right direction, he almost runs to Bucky, who hugs him tightly once he's close enough. He listens attentively as Tony shares some of the topics they talked about, not letting go but keeping his hold loose enough that Tony could easily move away. Rather than taking the opportunity, the omega seems quite happy to stay where he is, enjoying the touch.

 

“I'm glad you had a good time,” he finally says when Tony winds down. “Did you get answers on the things you were worried about?”

 

“Yes,” Tony answers. “They're great.”

 

“We are, thanks for noticing,” Clint tells them. Bucky tucks Tony against his side but holds his hand out to the other omega. Clint shakes it, slapping his shoulder on his way out.

 

“Got it bad, Yasha,” Nat says quietly as she kisses his cheek, the corner of her mouth turning up in a smile. Bucky gives her a cheeky grin in reply and turns his head to plant a kiss on Tony's lips. They break apart after only a few seconds but Natasha is already gone.

 

“Sure you're good?” Bucky asks.

 

“Mmhm,” Tony answers. While he'd been relaxed while his alpha was gone, now that Bucky's back, he's totally at ease.

 

“I've got something to make it even better.” Bucky smiles when Tony makes an inquisitive sound and glances up at him. “We got in contact with your dad. He'll be here within a day.”

 

Tony just stares at him for a moment. “You're sure?” he can't help but asking.

 

“Yeah, we're sure,” Bucky confirms. “He had the voice print and codes. It was Howard. And he'll be here as soon as possible. Steve and I are going to pack up some essentials and have them ready so we can leave as soon as we need to. The sooner we get you to Malibu, the sooner I know you're as safe as possible.”

 

“As long as I'm with you, I'm safe, alpha,” Tony responds.

 

Bucky kisses him, taking his time and obviously enjoying it. “You are gorgeous,” he murmurs, resting his forehead against Tony's. He tilts Tony's chin up to kiss him again, but Tony turns his face away.

 

“No, stop,” he requests quietly. It's hard to say the words, and they come out lacking any conviction and with barely any volume.

 

Despite that, Bucky pulls back instantly. “I'm sorry,” he apologizes, dropping his hands to bracket Tony's waist instead of pulling him close as he had before. “Want me to go?” He keeps his gaze averted in a move designed to make Tony feel at ease and in charge, at least a little.

 

Rather than responding coherently, Tony tilts his head back to the right angle and kisses him, moving closer himself. Bucky acts on instinct, one hand sliding to the small of Tony's back and the other arm around his shoulders. When they break apart, he has a quizzical look on his face, and the omega can't help but smile at it.

 

“What was that?” Bucky asks, slightly confused.

 

“I wanted to test you,” Tony admits. “None of my other alphas would have backed off. Ty would have knocked me to the ground and fucked me right there on the floor just because I wanted to deny him. But you backed off. You would have _left_ if I wanted you. Didn't want to teach me my place, just wanted me to be comfortable.”

 

“Tony, I would never hurt you, I swear,” Bucky tells him, brushing his hand through his hair as the fingers around his hip curled a little tighter. “But I'm glad I passed your test.”

 

“So am I,” Tony says quietly. He leans closer and rests his forehead against Bucky's shoulder. This is one of the first times he's ever been close to someone unless they were using him. It's strange but he enjoys it. Bucky is a warm presence that is more comforting than he expects, and the alpha doesn't seem to want to leave any time soon.

 

“Anything you want to talk about?” Bucky asks eventually. “You can ask me anything. If I don't want to answer, or if I can't, I'll tell you why.”

 

“No, I'm good. I know you won't hurt me. That's enough.”

 

“Gonna have to know more eventually.”

 

“Eventually,” Tony agrees. But that's not what he needs at the moment. For now, knowing that Bucky won't hurt him is enough to convince him that he's making the right choice, at least right now. Knowing him, he'll do something to drive the alpha away sooner or later.

 

“I'm glad that you talked to them,” Bucky says. “And I'm glad that we're gonna be able to get you to Malibu soon. You think your dad is gonna be upset about us?”

 

“Dunno.”

 

“Hey, if he's too tough on you, we can figure something out. Don't worry about that.”

 

“Nah, it'll be okay. The Malibu house is big enough that we can avoid each other. Me and Howard keep different schedules most of the time anyway.”

 

“Then everything will work out okay. I won't let him hurt you. Just like I wouldn't let Ty hurt you.”

 

“Howard's never like that unless he's really drunk. And he always apologizes later.”

 

“Apologizing doesn't make it any better.”

 

“Made it easier to believe he didn't mean it. And I only remember two or three times. Usually he just yelled at me or ignored me.”

 

“Doesn't make it any better.”

 

“Yeah.” Tony stands there quietly for a while longer before reaching up to kiss Bucky. His alpha responds eagerly, cupping a hand around the back of his neck and deepening the kiss. When Tony slips his hand lower from where he'd had it on his alpha's side, Bucky makes a low noise of pleasure and shifts his hips forward into the touch.

 

“Want me to take you to bed?” Bucky asks, nosing the side of Tony's neck. Tony makes a positive, needy sound and Bucky walks him backward. At the moment the bedroom seems a bit far, so he nudges Tony down onto the couch and straddles him. His hands slide lower down Tony's body as they start kissing again.

 

“You good?” Tony murmurs, rolling his hips up into the alpha's touch.

 

“Always.” Bucky slides Tony's pants down around his knees, his fingers trailing back up the other man's legs with a light, teasing touch. His hands roam across Tony's body, mouth claiming his, as the other man fumbles with his alpha's pants. With one hand he reached for the table next to the couch, where he'd found a bottle of lube from Nat earlier that day while looking for a pen, and coats his fingers and palm. Once they're half naked, Bucky takes them both in hand. Tony's head falls back at the feeling, and he moans softly in pleasure, going limp under the touch.

 

“Is that good?” Bucky asks, smiling a bit. He knows the answer very well.

 

“God, yes.” Tony cries out when Bucky twists his wrist, hips jerking up into his touch. “Bucky, please, yes.”

 

“S'okay, I got you.” Bucky presses closer, kissing possessively as he brings Tony closer to the edge. Tony is unaccustomed to the feeling, if the sounds he's making are anything to go by, but he's clearly enjoying it. Once he comes, he falls back against the couch, eyes half-closed. Bucky drops his hands to bracket Tony's waist and ruts against him for a few desperate moments before he finds his own release.

 

“That was amazing,” Tony murmurs, his head resting on the back of the couch.

 

“You were amazing,” Bucky corrects him gently, kissing him before drawing back a little to take a deep breath. “So amazing.”

 

“I didn't even do anything,” Tony reminds him.

 

“Doesn't matter. I like taking care of you. And not just with sex. You never had an alpha that wanted to take care of you, and I want to change that. Besides, you are amazing regardless of what you do.” Bucky tilts Tony's chin up and kisses him, taking his time. Once they finally pull apart, he tells Tony to stay where he is and washes his hands, bringing back a towel to make sure he cleans them up properly. Tony finds one of Bucky's hoodies thrown across the back of the couch and tugs it on, curling up at his alpha's side and snuggling close.

 

They stay there for almost an hour, until Tony starts dozing. Bucky gets him to lay down on the couch and then goes into his bedroom, rummaging in the closet until he finds a red-and-black duffle bag. He doesn't pack much, leaving most of the bag empty until Tony can get his things packed up as well. Once they both have their things together it'll be easier for him to figure things out. With his toiletries and a few changes of clothes stashed and ready, he goes back into the living room to check on Tony. For now, at least, the other man is still dozing.

 

Bucky leaves him alone, getting his laptop and sitting down on the other couch. If Tony's relationship with Howard was as bad as he'd indicated, he'd probably need the sleep now. And the elder Stark was going to be here pretty soon. Given that Bucky knows barely anything about Tony's family, he takes some time to look up the Stark name in the databases he has access to. Which means he starts with Wikipedia.

 

Maria Stark died in a car crash in 1991, when Tony was just twenty-one years old. Howard had barely survived and was thought to be dead for several years, since he hadn't had identification on him when the crash had happened and had had a temporary case of amnesia due to the trauma. Eventually he'd been recognized by one of the nurses, and Tony had been called in to identify him. After that, Howard had stayed quiet for almost a decade before finally reappearing in the public eye when he took back control of Stark Industries from his trustee Obadiah Stane, who was still the company's vice president. Since then he had seemingly had no problems taking on a womanizing, socialite life. No other man or woman had caught his attention, and he'd lived as a single man since the day of his wife's death.

 

Relations with Tony had been shaky before his mother's death, but after Maria was gone, he and Howard had often been openly hostile toward each other. The ridiculously high tension between them had been blamed on teenage hormones and Maria's death. After the funeral, the two Starks barely spoke to each other and were barely ever in the same room without snapping and fighting. It hadn't taken long before Tony had left his father, spending his time with friends who were disreputable but well-known in the upper class social circles. From there, all the reports were full of Tony's increasingly dangerous and illegal acts. Very few of them mentioned his abuse at the hands of his various partners, but it seemed like Howard had implied that Tony was an alpha without ever officially giving his status.

 

With what he'd read, Bucky was very unimpressed with Tony's father. It was sad that he'd lost his wife, sure, and while Bucky couldn't really sympathize with him, he understood that grief changed the way people thought and behaved. But it was clear that his problems with Tony had started from an early age and that he couldn't have put too much effort into their relationship if it had never been fixed. Tony might be harsh and sarcastic at times, but he was also sweet and delighted with any affection that he got. Overall, he had rough patches in his personality, but he was more than happy to give and receive kindness. And apparently that kindness had never come from his father.

 

Bucky let Tony doze until it was almost lunchtime. His research coincided with the noon meal pretty well, so he closes his laptop and pesters Tony awake. The omega swipes lazily at him, but Bucky just catches his hand and pulls him up. Once the prospect of food is presented, Tony is a lot happier to have been awoken, and he follows Bucky into the kitchen to help make something to eat.

 

Lunch is simple, just a couple of sandwiches and the remainder of a bag of chips that had been sitting in the pantry for a couple weeks. Bucky brings up the fact that they need to pack in preparation of Howard's arrival and their moving to the Malibu house. At the reminder of the move, Tony starts talking, rambling really, about some of the science projects that he wants to work on once he gets back home, and Bucky lets him.

 

“Need to pack,” the alpha reminds him once they're done eating. “Come on, I'll help you. It won't take long.”

 

“I can do it myself,” Tony grumbles.

 

“All right, then you pack,” Bucky agrees. “I've got some of my stuff in the duffle on the bed already. Pack everything you can in there, and we'll see what we have from there.”

 

“Sure,” Tony says. “It won't take long.”

 

“Then you don't need my help.”

 

“Would be nice,” Tony mutters.

 

Bucky smiles and slides his arms around Tony's waist from behind. “All right, then I'll help you out. C'mon, let's go pack.”

 

It doesn't take long for Tony to fit his things into the bag. The box of machinery doesn't exactly go with the rest, but they reinforce it with duct tape and Bucky assures him that it'll be fine. With all of Tony's things settled, Bucky fits in a few more of his own belongings and leaves things at that.

 

Steve comes back just before dinner. He packs his own bag, adding some of Bucky's field gear to his personal stuff. In the end, everything fits in two bags and one box of parts. Dinner includes Natasha and Clint, who are also a part of the potential security team for the Malibu house but are staying in New York for the moment. Tony is happy to see them, all things considered, and they're no strangers to Steve or Bucky. With the five of them, dinner is a loud affair, and Tony fits into the scene a lot better than Bucky had anticipated. Clint and Natasha leave a few hours after the meal, and Steve goes back to his room after stacking their bags by the door.

 

The three of them gather in the living room, Steve starting to yawn once it passes midnight. Someone bangs on the door and Tony jumps, immediately looking a little guilty for it. Bucky glances over at Steve, getting the nod that indicates the blond has a weapon on him, before getting up to answer it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun times, fun times. This was supposed to be up sooner, but my muse for the story took a brief vacation to my other projects.


	6. Chapter 6

“And who are you?” Bucky asks the man at the door.

 

“Howard Stark,” he answers, trying to look over Bucky's shoulder into the room. “Where's my son?”

 

“Get in.” Bucky closes the door behind him, keeping a hand on his holstered sidearm. Steve is eyeing the man with open suspicion. Tony is the only one of them that looks relieved, even though he looks like he's trying to hide it.

 

“Hi, Howard,” he says quietly.

 

“Tony,” Howard says in relief, crossing the room. As he gets closer, Tony stands up, rubbing one hand up and down his forearm in an expression of nerves. Howard doesn't speak again, simply tugging his son close in a tight hug. It takes Tony a few moments to respond, but then he tentatively returns it. “You said some guy went too far. What happened?”

 

“Nothing,” Tony answers. “It's okay.”

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“I'll be fine.”

 

“Let's get you back to Malibu, boy.” Howard breaks the hug and puts a hand on Tony's back, steering him toward the door. “You two coming or not?” he asks Bucky and Steve over his shoulder.

 

“Don't rush,” Bucky tells him. “We're coming. Steve, take point. I'll follow with the bags. Natasha secured the downstairs at midnight and Clint checked the roof on the hour. Things should still be okay.”

 

“What's with all the trouble?” Howard asks suspiciously. “Is someone after him?”

 

“The last guy he was dating was part of Hydra. For now, the guy's gone, but we lost track of him and we don't know where he is. It's not likely that he knows Tony's leaving, but we don't want to take chances.”

 

“Hydra? Tony, what the hell were you thinking?” Howard demands.

 

“I didn't know,” Tony defends himself.

 

“Cut it out,” Bucky interrupts. “Tony didn't know that Ty was Hydra. And it was only a strong suspicion until Tony corroborated what we knew and confirmed it. He didn't know what Hydra was, or that Ty was part of them.”

 

“My boy's smart enough to know better,” Howard tells him.

 

“He was running out of options and didn't think he could turn to you,” Bucky answers. “Leave him alone.”

 

“Fucking around with terrorists could have gotten him killed. He knows better than that.”

 

“I said leave him alone!” Bucky orders. “We can talk about it later if you insist we need to. But for now, we need to get Tony to Malibu before someone finds out you're here.”

 

“Guys, break it up,” Steve insists. “Let's get on that chopper, huh?”

 

Bucky and Howard stop arguing, but they're glaring at each other like they'd very much like to continue their conversation. Steve leads the way out of the apartment, followed by Howard and then Tony, with Bucky bringing up the rear. The chopper on the roof is military issue with room for six besides a cargo net for their gear. With the pilot, there's only one free seat, which Tony puts between him and his father.

 

Once the others are settled in, Bucky claims the co-pilot seat to get away from the tension in the main body of the chopper. Steve glares at him for it but Bucky only shrugs and tugs on the headset. He checks the connection and then settles in for the flight. Tony and Howard are bound to start bitching at each other eventually and he just hopes that they'll figure out at least a few things before they land in Malibu. If this how they normally get along, he's going to go crazy dealing with them.

 

At the halfway mark, Bucky slips the headset down to his neck and turns in his seat. “We're halfway there,” he says. “Now would be the time to throw anyone overboard.”

 

“Please,” Steve grumbles. Bucky raises his eyebrows at that. If Steve's ready to ditch somebody, it must have been pretty bad at some point.

 

“Look at that, pops, you're halfway done with me already,” Tony tells Howard. “Guess you get to ditch me earlier than you thought.”

 

“Can you be in the same room with someone without driving them crazy?” Howard asks. “Just leave it.”

 

“Oh, sure, no problem,” Tony snaps. “Cause it's not like you don't keep pushing the fight.”

 

“If you two don't settle down, one of you is switching places with me,” Bucky warns them. “Steve, keep an eye on them.” By now he's seriously reconsidering his ideas of the Starks' relationship. Worse than he'd thought, somehow. And he's pretty sure that any conversation involving the both of them is going to end in yelling and probably things being thrown.

 

“Yeah, leave me with them,” Steve grumbles. Bucky just rolls his eyes, unimpressed, and sits back down. Tony's going to be restless tonight, he's pretty sure. And he isn't sure if Howard is going to be willing to leave him alone for a few hours. Hopefully whatever Tony's expecting to find will be there so he has something familiar to ground him. While the omega hasn't spoken much about the Malibu house, he mentioned that he spent a lot of time there as a teenager and that it's the site of his main lab.

 

The house, once they get there, is undeniably impressive. Fortunately it's not over-the-top like the disaster that was Ty's place. After their pilot sets down on the roof, Steve escorts Tony and Howard inside as Bucky makes sure post-flight checks go all right. He grabs both the bags, Tony having taken the box of parts already when he went with Steve and his father.

 

Inside, the place is spacious and obviously decorated with money and expertise. Bucky doesn't know much about homemaking, but the place looks good, like something out of a magazine. The effect is somewhat ruined by the fact that Tony and Howard are yelling at each other in the middle of the room. Steve is standing to the side, looking resigned but also irritated.

 

Bucky doesn't have the time or patience for this shit. He drops both bags in the doorway near where Tony left his box, startling the Starks apart with the sound of impact. Steve raises an eyebrow like he's waiting for a show to start. Rather than obliging, he points from the blond to Howard, then walks forward and puts his hand on Tony's back to steer him toward the staircase. Of course Howard orders both of them to stop, but Bucky keeps pushing Tony along and he can hear Steve blocking the other man behind them.

 

“Which way is your room?” Bucky asks. From the sounds above, Howard's temper has been focused on Steve, and Bucky doesn't envy him the experience.

 

“Second floor and to the left,” Tony answers, sullen and quiet. Bucky doesn't address his tone of voice and just leads him as directed. The second floor is mostly open spaces, like a very large-scale bachelor flat.

 

“You're gonna get into pajamas and go to bed. I'm gonna check the perimeter and make sure things look okay. Then I'm gonna join you, okay? Give those assholes a few hours to go to bed and then if you want we can check out the lab or something.”

 

“I'm hungry,” Tony tells him, apparently determined to be cranky.

 

“Then get into bed and I'll bring you something to eat.”

 

“Do you know where the kitchen is?”

 

“Fortunately I'm smart enough to figure it out. I'll be back soon.” Bucky leaves, ignoring the next complaint that Tony has. He does manage to find the kitchen, which is on the ground floor and will have a spectacular ocean view once it's daylight. Like all other households, there's a plastic bag full of plastic bags under the sink, and he grabs a few water bottles, a box of Pop-Tarts, and a few other ready-to-eat items before going upstairs again. Since Howard and Steve have gone to wherever they're off to, the top floor is abandoned, and Bucky grabs the bag with his and Tony's things in it before going back down to the second floor.

 

Tony is standing on the balcony when Bucky gets back, the door left open behind him. Bucky deposits the food in the kitchen and puts the bag of their things at the foot of the bed. Since Tony is still outside, now leaning on the railing in a clear sign of not wanting to come in, Bucky sighs and goes out to join him. He shuts the door quietly behind him once he's outside, and since Tony makes no indication that he's noticed the other man's arrival, he puts his hands on the omega's hips before coming closer. One hand stays where it is and the other moves to the railing as his body weight pushes Tony forward a little. It's obvious that Tony has no intention of talking or moving, so Bucky just hooks his chin over his shoulder and stares out across the water. Given that they're at the edge of the cliff, the surf is a little loud, but not enough to bother them.

 

“I'm sorry,” Tony mutters eventually. He's barely loud enough to be heard, but Bucky doesn't blame him.

 

“S'okay,” he replies, tilting his head so he can speak in Tony's ear without needing to be loud. “Brought you food.”

 

“Not hungry.”

 

Bucky chuckles. “Thought so. At least we won't have to leave for breakfast.”

 

“Dad will come and get me anyway.”

 

“Then I'll tell him to get lost. Gotta take care of you, after all.” Bucky moves his hand to lay on top of Tony's, fingers curling over his. “You're gonna get cold if you stay out here.”

 

“Nah, I'll be fine.”

 

“Please?” Bucky asks. “Just come to bed, sweetheart. You don't have to do anything, just lay down for a few hours.”

 

Tony sighs and ducks his head, watching the way Bucky's thumb brushes over the back of his hand. “I haven't even been here half an hour and I already wanna go again. Howard's just as bad as I remember him and this is supposedly my home but it's like when I was a teenager. I show up, he disapproves, and we scream at each other for a while before swearing to hate each other for eternity and running off. But this time there's no alpha for me to run to so I can get away from him. And that didn't work out very well last time either. Look at where it got me with Ty.”

 

“Ty was literally a terrorist,” Bucky pointed out. “Kinda hard for things to go right when you've got a partner like that.”

 

“But still... Maybe if I'd been good he wouldn't have acted like that.”

 

“It didn't have anything to do with you,” Bucky assured him. “And besides, being good is never a prerequisite for affection. Of course, people prefer to be around you when you're nice. But if you really need someone to be there for you, you shouldn't have to behave yourself just to get what you need. Now c'mon. The bed's waiting.”

 

“Do we have to?”

 

“Yup.”

 

Tony sighs dramatically but lets go of the railing and follows Bucky inside. He changes as Bucky pokes around the rooms, finding things that interest him before returning to the bedroom. When he gets there, Tony is already in bed but looking displeased with it all. Bucky takes off his shoes, socks, and pants before getting in with him, tugging him close. Tony's still tense and irritated from his fight with his father, but Bucky is patient with him and as willing as ever to show him affection. Eventually Tony dozes off, his fingers curled around the hand Bucky has on his waist. Once he's sure that his omega is actually asleep and not faking it, Bucky nuzzles the back of his neck and closes his eyes himself.

 

As usual, Tony is awake first in the morning. Bucky grumbles under his breath when he tries to get out of bed and pulls him back over. Regardless of what time it is, it's too early to be out of bed. He throws a leg over Tony's and kisses the side of his neck, hand slipping under the hem of his shirt to splay across his ribs. Tony seems to think that an adequate containment policy, since he settles right back down where he was.

 

While Bucky has no idea how much longer they stay in bed, he has a feeling it might be a while. Tony tries to get out of bed and this time Bucky lets him, rolling over onto his stomach once the other man is gone. Even though Tony was gone for years, the rooms still hold a faint smell of him, now subtly mixed with Bucky's own scent. He might be biased, but the end result doesn't seem all that bad to him.

 

Since Tony doesn't come back to bed from wherever he went to, Bucky gets up so he can go in search of him. Given that they're not on their own in the house, he pulls on his pants, but otherwise doesn't bother with making himself look presentable. He finds the omega in the kitchenette area, eating a Pop-Tart as he works on something on a tablet. When he sees Bucky, he murmurs a hello and turns the screen off, sitting up a little straighter.

 

“Coffee should be ready soon,” he informs Bucky, yawning.

 

“Good,” Bucky says. He pauses to kiss Tony, tasting the chocolate from the Pop-Tarts, and sits down next to him. “I'll text Steve and ask him to try to keep Howard out of the way for a little while. We can see if we can make it to your lab without getting caught, if you want.”

 

“Yeah, that would be great,” Tony agrees, brightening a little. “I can introduce you to Dum-E and Jarvis if you want to meet them.”

 

“Who are they?” Bucky asks. He'd read Jarvis' name on the back of one of Tony's photographs, but he was pretty sure that the man would be dead by now, given the age of the picture.

 

“Dum-E's a bot. I wrote his code for my master's thesis. Theoretically, he wasn't capable of existing in the capacity he did at the time. And Jarvis is an artificial intelligence program that I wrote just before I left. His code's all full of bugs, but if I work on him a little, he should straighten out easily enough.”

 

“They sound great,” Bucky tells him. “I'd be honoured.” At that, Tony blushes faintly, ducking his head.

 

“They're not all that great,” he mumbles, toying with the edge of the Pop-Tart wrapper.

 

“You wrote the code for a bot that shouldn't have been able to exist. That's pretty awesome.”

 

“He almost never behaves. The code is actually really terrible, I was drunk when I wrote most of it. So it's not a huge achievement.”

 

Bucky silences him with a kiss. “You created something that was the first of his kind. That's amazing. And you're much smarter than you give yourself credit for.”

 

“Not really,” Tony demurs, “but if you say so.”

 

“I think you're one of the world's best engineers and that you would get any type of contract you applied for, if you wanted to make a career out of it.”

 

“Dad used to want me to work at Stark Industries. But we never got along after I started growing up, so that kind of went away.”

 

“Maybe you two could work something out,” Bucky suggests. “He's a little... forceful, but he cares about you.”

 

“He started yelling at me almost as soon as he got in the door,” Tony protests.

 

“Yeah, but I think he was scared. I mean, you chose to live with an abusive boyfriend rather than ask him for help. Maybe he cares but he doesn't know how to show it.”

 

“No way. He would have said something. Howard just likes to yell. And when he's not yelling, he's getting ready to. I know him.”

 

“Give him a chance. Keep your temper and agree with what he says. Maybe you'll be surprised by what happens after he's had his say.”

 

“This isn't some kind of Hallmark movie. We haven't gotten along since Mom died and we're not gonna start now just because I almost got myself killed by an alpha.”

 

“I'm sorry I brought it up,” Bucky apologizes, rubbing a hand down Tony's spine. He presses a quick kiss to Tony's cheek and goes to the coffeepot. It doesn't take him long to pour two mugs, and he brings one back over to Tony. The omega huffs under his breath but takes it and murmurs a thanks. Bucky presses close to him, carding his fingers through Tony's hair and offering him the comforting, if silent, presence of an alpha. After a moment, Tony rests his forehead against Bucky's shoulder and lets out a sigh.

 

“M'sorry I snapped at you,” he almost whispers. “Please don't be mad at me.”

 

“Nah, I'm not angry,” Bucky reassures him. “Drink your coffee, gorgeous. You still wanna show me the lab?”

 

“Yeah,” Tony says, perking up a little. He rambles about that for a few minutes, talking about the last couple projects he'd been working on and admitting that he missed Dum-E while he was gone. After a bit he settles down and takes a sip of his coffee, evidently pleased with the drink.

 

Bucky goes in search of his phone, which is rather low on battery after being left on the counter all night long. He plugs in his charger and calls Steve as he waits for Tony to wake up a bit more. Steve answers within seconds, and it doesn't take long at all for the two of them to arrange something to keep Howard busy just long enough for Bucky and Tony to slip down to the lab. Once Tony has showered and changed, and Bucky refills their coffee cups, he texts Steve to let him know they're moving and lets Tony lead the way.

 

The lab is, as he expects, very interesting. Machinery and pieces of it litter the half dozen workbenches and tables scattered around half the floor space. At least a dozen classic cars are parked along one wall, all of them in mint condition and with custom paint jobs. Bucky's practically itching to check some of them out, but he follows Tony instead. Something beeps shrilly and he jumps a little, his attention instantly caught by the bot that's zooming toward them so quickly that Bucky prays it has brakes.

 

Tony has no such fears. “Dum-E,” he all but cheers, going forward to meet it. He pets the chassis and the bot preens under his touch, claw clicking as it's opened and closed. “I know, I missed you too,” he says sympathetically. “You been a good boy for me? Don't think I don't know what kind of trouble you get into, you brat. Give me that innocent look all you want. I know better.”

 

“Going to introduce me?” Bucky asks, smiling at Tony's unusual openness.

 

“Dum-E, this is Bucky. Bucky, this is Dum-E. He's not much, especially with modern robotics, but he's my first, so I guess he's kinda special.”

 

“He's amazing,” Bucky tells him. He holds his hand out and Dum-E whirs before gently closing his claw around Bucky's outstretched fingers. The hold is amazingly light and gentle, barely even putting pressure on Bucky's skin despite the semi-thick metal fingers of the claw. “You really made him?” he asks, crouching down a little so he can see the bot closer to eye level.

 

“Yeah, back when I was about twenty-three. I never thought he'd work. He doesn't, really, not half the time, but he's good enough for me.”

 

“No way, he's not just 'good enough'. He's brilliant.” Bucky watches enthralled as Dum-E rotates his claw a bit, turning Bucky's hand over before letting go of him. The bot is evidently intelligent and curious enough to want a better look at him, because he wheels to the side a bit before pinching at Bucky's hoodie and reversing a bit. Bucky goes down on one knee so he won't get pulled over and runs his hand down the side of Dum-E's arm. The bot beeps half a dozen times in rapid succession before letting go of him and going back to the corner he'd come from.

 

“I think he likes you,” Tony mentions, sounding absurdly pleased both with that fact and his bot. “He doesn't really get to meet many people. Just me and Howard. But he's pretty intelligent. About as much as a really smart dog, maybe a young kid. Shouldn't have left him on his own like I did.”

 

“Well, you came back,” Bucky points out. “And Steve is gonna die if they ever meet. Dum-E's adorable and intelligent. Guess he took after his daddy.”

 

Tony blushes at that and curls his free hand around his coffee cup, holding it with both hands. Bucky stands up and puts his hands on the omega's hips, kissing him for a long moment before pulling away. “Can you show me the rest?” he asks.

 

“You don't have to,” Tony tells him. “I mean, you can go back to wherever you want to go in the house, you don't have to stay here with me.”

 

“I haven't met Jarvis yet,” Bucky protests. “And since you made him and Dum-E, I'd love to know what else you were working on. Plus there's no way the view is anywhere close to this good in the rest of the house. There's no other cute omegas I should be looking for, right?” he teases.

 

“Not unless Howard has a new inamorata,” Tony answers, the corner of his mouth turning up in a bit of a smile at Bucky's enthusiasm. “All right, sure, I can show you Jarvis. He only works down here, and only when I turn him on. Still a lot of problems and missing pieces of his code, but he's all right.”

 

“That's how you described Dum-E, and he's the best thing I've seen in years.”

 

“You'll love J, then.” Tony moves over to one of the panels set in the wall above the workbenches, between a couple pegboards and racks holding tools. “All right, buddy, let's get you up and at 'em.” He activates the panel, types in a few codes, and then does a few things that Bucky doesn't have a hope of keeping track of before authorizing something and stepping back. “It should be just a few seconds.”

 

“Hello, sir,” a British voice says a moment later, the sudden sound making Bucky jump. “May I say how good it is to see you again.”

 

“I knew you missed me,” Tony teases. “Jarvis, this is Bucky. He's an alpha assigned to a protection detail around the house.”

 

“A pleasure to meet you, Sergeant Barnes,” Jarvis replies.

 

“Likewise,” Bucky answers. “How did you know my name?”

 

“Jarvis can get into all the government databases and stuff, including facial recognition. Although his permissions only go as high as my dad's clearances, which is only a level two or something. Mostly just office records and personnel. I'd disable that, but he automatically monitors everyone who comes in here, so if something happens we'd already know who it is.”

 

“He's a hacker?” Bucky asks.

 

“Not really. Just a rather very intelligent system.” Tony smiles a little at that, and Bucky realizes the phrase is significant to him. It doesn't take him long to figure it out.

 

“That's where his name comes from?”  
  


“Yup. Named him after an old friend of mine. Our butler when we still lived in Stark Mansion. He died a while ago, but J is doing a pretty good job of keeping an eye on me whenever he's enabled.”

 

“Which has not been often enough lately, sir,” Jarvis says.

 

“He's great,” Bucky decides. “Both him and Dum-E.”

 

Tony blushes faintly at the praise and scratches at the back of his neck. “Well, I mean, not really... but if you say so.”

 

“Yeah, Tony, these are.... I've never seen _anything_ like this. Never. Jesus, you've gotta be twenty years ahead of anything else there is. And I thought you were smart. This is way beyond smart.” Bucky looks over at him, grinning. “God, you're amazing. Can I kiss you?”

 

“Um, sure?” Tony sets his coffee cup down on one of the workbenches and shrugs. Bucky closes the distance between them, setting his own mug down, and cups Tony's face just before kissing him. He hums in approval when Tony surrenders control of the kiss to him and kisses him more deeply before pulling back.

 

“I don't think I've never met anyone this intelligent. And definitely not coupled with those good looks of yours. You're fantastic, absolutely fantastic.”

 

“Talk about alpha hormones,” Tony murmurs, smiling a little. Bucky chuckles and kisses him again, taking his time and gently encouraging Tony to relax fully. It isn't long before the omega does so, his fingers curled around the waistband of Bucky's sweats and his mouth pliant under his alpha's.

 

“Show me what you were working on?” Bucky asks after they've pulled apart, almost panting for breath.

 

“Oh, um... you sure?”

 

“Definitely,” Bucky assures him. Tony turns around to pull something up on his panel, and Bucky puts his arms around his waist, nuzzling the back of his neck. At the touch, Tony leans back against him, making a soft purring noise in the back of his throat as he obviously makes himself comfortable in the other man's grasp. Bucky is quite pleased with the fact that Tony is so relaxed around him, especially given his history with alphas in the past, and has no desire to leave any time soon.

 

“This is the last project I had up,” Tony says a few moments later. “A live translation tool that you could download onto your laptop or smartphone. Since I was working on it, there have been a few people that have developed the tech to do that for signs and stuff, so I was thinking of updating it with the algorithms used by the post office and CIA analysts so it'll read handwritten things as well. Letters, signs at stores, stuff like that. Hopefully I could put together some dictionaries for specialized fields so it could be used for more than tourism.”

 

“What would it be used for?” Bucky asks, intrigued.

 

“Mostly spy stuff. If you had a device with the program installed and you were infiltrating a base or something, you could scan the pages to see what would be most important on the scene. No need to take duplicates or day-to-day receipts rather than battle plans, if you have to choose what you can bring with you. You don't have to waste time trying to get a translation, especially if people are trying to take you down.”

 

“Pretty smart,” Bucky tells him, approving. “Gonna make it public?”

 

“If I ever get it working well enough, yeah.”

 

“You could probably get a government contract to get help working on it,” Bucky suggests. “And I bet they wouldn't even make you share the credit.”

 

Tony's nose wrinkles. “Yeah, and be one of the only omegas in a compound full of alphas? Not to be rude but no thanks. I doubt that that would end well.”

 

“Didn't think of that,” Bucky admits.

 

“Well, you're an alpha,” Tony points out. “Nobody's gonna pester you. But if someone's feeling horny and manages to catch me alone, I wouldn't bet on their actions.”

 

Bucky blinks, taken aback. “Is that really a danger for omegas?” he asks, slightly worried.

 

“For all of us, yeah.” Tony's hands pause where he was working. “And if something happens, well, just about everyone would believe the alpha over an omega begging for attention when they clearly enjoyed what was done to them. People never believe that an alpha would do something like that, especially if they're rich or positioned.”

 

“That-That's wrong,” Bucky protests. He raises a hand to brush through Tony's hair, resting it on the side of his head. “Is that why you never did anything against your alphas? The ones who hurt you?”

 

“More or less, yeah. Even if anyone had believed that they had hurt me, I would still just be an omega. And nobody is gonna care about an omega barking accusations against some rich alpha. If anyone had listened in the first place.”

 

“Because omegas are lower class?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“Sucks,” Bucky sympathizes. He didn't personally understand Tony's fears and trials as an omega, but that wasn't a prerequisite for knowing that that what he was describing was wrong. “There's nothing you can do?”

 

“Well, there are people who try to change things and rebel against social orders. But most of them end up hurt or dead.”

 

“Let me know if I can do something to help,” Bucky requests. “I'd like to, if that would be okay.”

 

“I'll let you know if I suddenly become an insurgent,” Tony answers, attempting a smile.

 

“You do that, sweetheart.” Bucky kissed the side of his neck. “Show me how your program works?”

 

Tony is quick to latch onto the change in subject, and he's obviously joyful to be working in his lab again. Bucky does his best to be a good observer, sometimes asking questions or making comments but leaving Tony alone at times. Eventually they sit down, Tony on a mechanic's stool and Bucky making himself comfortable on one of the two couches. It's a lot more comfortable than he expected, and he suspects that Tony has slept down here more than a few times.

 

He quickly finds out that Tony has a habit of rambling when he works, mostly to himself. Occasionally he calls for Dum-E to do something for him, generally fetching something and, once, to make him a cup of coffee. Bucky finds that very amusing, especially with how eager to please the robot is. Dum-E might have inefficient code, according to his maker, but he does fairly well, although Bucky does wonder if poisoning is ever a concern.

 

A far more amusing revelation, as far as the bot is concerned, is that Dum-E enjoys playing fetch. Bucky was amusing himself with bouncing a bright orange rubber ball off the wall and catching it, but when Tony distracts him so that he misses the catch, Dum-E beeps wildly and scurries off after the ball. He hands it back without a scratch on the orb, and Bucky murmurs a quiet thanks as he pets the bot's chassis.

 

“Try throwing it for him?” Tony asks, obviously curious at their exchange. Bucky obliges with an underhand throw, almost like bowling, and encourages Dum-E to chase after it. As soon as the bot understands what's being asked of him, he trills at a volume that almost makes Bucky wince and speeds of at a breakneck pace to retrieve the ball. He brings it back a minute later and waits at Bucky's side for him to throw again, obviously hopeful for a repeat performance.

 

Bucky wastes no time in engaging Dum-E in a game of fetch, clearly enjoying himself. Tony drops all pretense of working on his project, instead sitting with his back to the screens and watching Bucky toss the ball. Given all the equipment and cars, Bucky is careful what he does, but he manages to make the game interesting for both of them. And Tony clearly loves that Bucky is so entertained by Dum-E and views him as more than an inanimate object.

 

“So I guess you two get along pretty well,” he says eventually, sounding highly pleased.

 

“Dum-E is great,” Bucky agrees, grinning. He's never been the most eloquent of people, but he loves the bot and that's pretty obvious. “I love him.”

 

“I never thought my own bot would replace me in an alpha's affections,” Tony teases.

 

“Nah, you're still the best,” Bucky tells him. “C'mere.” Tony gets up to go over to him, straddling his lap like he's familiar with that course of action. Bucky kisses him, possessive now so that Tony is left with no doubt as to the alpha's feelings toward him. When he finally pulls back, Tony is panting and Bucky can see the bulge of his cock through his pants. “Think I should help you with that?”

 

“Please,” Tony murmurs. He rocks forward against Bucky's hip until the alpha stalls his movement.

 

“Get up,” Bucky tells him, nudging him off a little. Once Tony is standing, eyeing him quizzically, Bucky runs his hands up Tony's thighs, cupping him through his pants before undoing the clasp and sliding them off. It's not long before Tony is naked, and he kneels before Bucky, nosing the inside of his knee as the alpha gets his own pants off. He gets Tony back up in his lap again, and Tony puts his knowledge of alphas to good use as he grinds against the other man, whimpering in the back of his throat.

 

Bucky situates him so he can fist Tony's cock as the omega grinds his ass against him, and he's rewarded with a most satisfactory yelp when he does. He nips at the side of Tony's neck as he rolls his hips up under him, enjoying the noises and shudders that Tony gives as he starts falling apart. Tony has always been a bit guarded, but when he's truly enjoying himself with sex, Bucky notices his walls falling more quickly than usual. And the glimpses of Tony he gets at those times are most enjoyable.

 

Tony is panting and whining in minutes, which only encourages Bucky more. He finally does as Tony's been begging him and nudges him enough that he can slide inside him. Tony yelps at the top of his lungs, clenching around Bucky's length, and the alpha nips at the tendons of his shoulder as the other man adjusts to the feeling. Once Tony is settled, Bucky starts moving, and it isn't long before Tony comes with a loud cry. Bucky peppers nips and kisses along his neck and shoulders as he thrusts inside him, breath hitching as he comes himself.

 

“You good?” Bucky asks. He maneuvers them so they're laying down on the couch, putting an arm over Tony's waist and nuzzling his cheek.

 

“Mm,” Tony replies eloquently, and Bucky huffs a chuckle into the long hairs at the back of his neck. After a few minutes, he blows out a deep breath and stretches in Bucky's hold. “When are you gonna go?” he asks quietly.

 

“When you want me to,” Bucky answers. Tony nods and closes his eyes, evidently deciding on a nap before the task of getting dressed. Bucky didn't plan on falling asleep himself, but he ends up doing so, only waking up when Tony wriggles out of his grasp. Huffing under his breath, Bucky stretches out himself, watching the omega as he moves about, especially when he bends over to pick his shirt up.

 

“Is it weird that we fucked in front of your bot?” he asks absently, watching the ceiling.

 

“It is now,” Tony replies, and when Bucky looks over at him, he's glowering.

 

Bucky laughs and gets up, retrieving his clothing from the floor. “Sorry,” he says, but he's clearly unapologetic and Tony obviously knows better than to accept his apology at face value. “I'll make you lunch,” he suggests. “We can see how poor Steve's doing, being trapped with Howard all day. I owe him for that.”

 

“Are you going to be able to come back sometime this week?” Tony asks. “Dum-E will miss you.”

 

“And you won't? I'm heartbroken.” Bucky smiles at Tony's protesting noise and presses a quick kiss to his mouth before turning toward the door. “Come on, I'm not too bad a cook.” Tony wastes no time in following him, and as the two enter the kitchen, he's rambling about his translation program again. When he sees who's in the kitchen, however, he stops abruptly. Steve looks up from the fridge, a mildly harried look on his face, and Howard pauses with a coffee cup to his lips.

 

“Good to see you, Tony,” the elder Stark says casually.

 

“Hi,” Tony mutters, and Bucky can already see the disaster that the day is going to devolve into.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's somehow been a month since the last time I updated. That sucks. But hey, a new chapter! Good, right?


	7. Chapter 7

“Steve, did you two ever get into the control room for whatever he has with on-site security?” Bucky asks, hoping to distract the two from each other. And it's a legitimate question, something that he needs to know before something potentially goes wrong.

 

“Nah, he doesn't have it centralized,” Steve explains. “Plus the standard team got reassigned with their employers, so it's just our guys on the ground out there. Howard changed most of the protocols since he was getting new people. Clint and Natasha are babysitting some SHIELD crew. They've got some kind of handbook down there and we'll get it sometime tonight.”

 

“You guys don't know everything ahead of time?” Tony asks.

 

“Clint and Nat are the ones on the ground. They learn first since our instructions are as simple as making sure you don't get killed during some kind of altercation,” Steve tells him.

 

“They've gotta be happy about babysitting,” Bucky comments, apparently at odds with the conversation so far, but Steve is used to following his train of thought even when it derails a little bit. He'd always been a little absentminded, ever since they were kids, but after his stint as a POW it became more common, and for good reasons.

 

“Babysitting?” Howard repeats. “Somebody could be after my son and you've got junior agents on the grounds?” He sounds not only insulted but scandalised, and Bucky would find it funny if it weren't for the fact that he understood where he was coming from with his concern about inexperienced fighters. They were too often nothing but a liability, and they didn't need that with such a sensitive situation as the one surrounding Tony and the fact that he was running away from a powerful Hydra agent who was determined to get him back.

 

“A crack team, actually,” Steve tells Howard, sounding like he's trying to be polite. “But Clint and Natasha are far better than anyone else that could be trusted to be on the straight and narrow. And better than most of them as well. For us, it's just a casual term for people when the Avengers need to work with GIs or some other contract force, regardless of how good they actually are.”

 

“Cause we're a damn sight better,” Bucky says with a cocky grin, sliding onto one of the bar stools. “That's the whole reason we're here. Nobody beats us when it comes to anything because they can't. Pretty simple stuff, all things considered.” He pats the seat beside him, raising an eyebrow in Tony's direction, and the omega sits down next to him with a little huff. Bucky hides his smile and continues talking, completely at ease with sharing a few widely-known trade secrets. “And Nat and Crackhead are integral parts of our team.”

 

“He's gonna shoot you again if he hears you calling him that,” Steve points out, turning just briefly enough to glare at him. They both know that that's the truth, and Bucky clearly hadn't learned from the first time he'd done it. Clint hadn't either but they'd never assaulted each other in the field and Steve took what he could get. It was enough that they were constantly being horrible to each other in their downtime, especially since they'd put themselves in harm's way for each other any day of the week.

 

“Yeah, cause he's a jerk.” Bucky's opinions are very dear to him, even if they might occasionally be proven wrong. He and Clint have always been one word away from acting like they truly hate each other, but Steve knows better. They would have done something by now if there was actual dislike there, but there wasn't.

 

“None of this is actually convincing me that you guys know what you're doing,” Tony tells him, glancing between the two soldiers with a furrow between his eyebrows. They seem like they're better at joking than any real work.

 

Steve snorts. “That's because Buck fancies himself a comedian. Never has he been so wrong. Except that time he ate ten Carolina Reapers in a row.” And while he'd found that hilarious, it had only been because he hadn't been the one with a mouth on fire. If it had been the other way around, it doubtlessly would have been far different.

 

Bucky winces at the memory. “To be fair, I was kinda drunk at the time and I've never had good ideas after that much vodka. Especially not Nat's.”

 

“Aren't those the hottest peppers in the world?” Tony asks.

 

“Which was why it was a really bad idea,” Steve confirms. He shakes his head. “It only took him a couple seconds for him to start screaming for something to drink.”

 

“How did you know that, Tony?” Howard asks, looking surprised.

 

“Studying abroad and all that.” He shrugs, uncomfortable, and hunches over the counter.

 

“You were studying a broad, huh? Which one?”

 

Bucky chuckles, even though Steve looks faintly disapproving of the irreverence of their humour. Tony barks out a short, sharp laugh, then looks a little surprised at himself. He gets elbowed faintly by Bucky, who looks pleased that he'd found it funny. In all honesty, the joke hadn't been the best, but it was the fact that there was a moment of non-hostility between Howard and Tony that was the memorable occasion. And hopefully it wouldn't be the last one, especially if Tony was going to have to stay here to be safe.

 

“So what have you two been up to?” Bucky asks.

 

“Checking out security systems,” Howard says with a little shrug. “Made sure everything's set so we're not scrambling around in case of emergency or anything like that. Talked some shop, had him shoot a few prototypes. Gonna be making adjustments to them for a couple days, so that's nice.” He seems pleased at the prospect of having plenty of work, and Bucky mentally chalks it down as something that father and son have in common.

 

“I went down to check on the team's barracks when we were done with that,” Steve adds. “The place is pretty nice. Better than most SHIELD safehouses. Clint is of the opinion they should get time off to be able to go to the beach, though.”

 

“And they're a crack team,” Tony replies, repeating what he'd heard earlier. He definitely looks sceptical now, and Howard's expression is pretty similar. If Bucky hadn't known otherwise, he'd be exactly the same.

 

“Natasha and Clint are the best for a reason,” Steve answers. He closes the fridge door, setting some items on the counter. “And while they might pretend to be funny once in a while, they settle down fast when they're needed. Both of them have saved mine and Bucky's lives more times than we can count.” They'd done just as much for other team members and SHIELD agents.

 

“Hey, you're making food,” Bucky realizes, perking up.

 

Tony snorts. “No shit, Sherlock,” he mutters. Bucky rolls his eyes and elbows him, but he's grinning anyway.

 

“You wanna help, jerk?” Steve asks, snorting when Bucky makes a face at him. Real mature adults, they are.

 

“Go on, Barnes, earn your keep,” Howard teases, smiling a little. Bucky huffs but gets up anyway, and in a few moments, he and Steve are in brief conversation over what they're doing. It doesn't take him long to catch on, since he's familiar with what Steve's making. A good half their time is spent in figuring out where things are located. Neither of the ask the Starks, who don't volunteer any information anyway, so it takes a while.

 

“Did you sleep all right?” Howard asks Tony while the other two are cooking.

 

“Fine,” the younger Stark grumbles, looking down at his coffee mug. He hadn't exactly been open until now, but at the direct attention, he practically folds in on himself as he looks away. Even though his father isn't being antagonistic, he's not comfortable around him in the slightest, something his body language is making very clear.

 

“Cut healing?” Howard reaches out to touch the slight wound but Tony jerks away from him. The older man instinctively snatches his hand back just as fast, then frowns at him.

 

“I said I'm fine.”

 

“What's the matter with you? I'm trying to see if you're okay, there's no reason for you to get all pissed at me.”

 

“Look, I said I was all right,” Tony snaps. If Bucky hadn't known that Tony wouldn't hit anyone, he would have been stepping between them for Howard's own good, much as he disliked the man on a personal level.

 

“You show some respect to your father,” Howard orders. He doesn't look too happy himself, and Bucky quickly realises where the true threat of physical violence lies. Until now, much as he didn't want to admit it, he hadn't fully believed Tony when he'd spoken about his father. He'd assumed some, if not much, of it was just caused by Tony's natural dramatic state and the fact that he'd mostly been a teenager for nearly all his time with his father. Common teenage hatred for authority figures and parents and all that.

 

“Oh yeah? Why? Cause you deserve it?”

 

“Because I am your father and I'm not some demon out to get you. I asked you how you were doing and you bit my head off. We haven't gotten along before, but there's no need for that to continue. The two of us are mature, responsible men who know better.” Howard turns away like that's the end of the conversation but Tony isn't done yet himself.

 

“Maybe I don't know better. After all, I'm just an idiot hot-head.”

 

“I never said that about you!”  
  


“Then I guess you were just too drunk to remember.”

 

“Watch your mouth,” Howard threatens.

 

“Or what? You're gonna smack me around? Show them what you're really made of?” He gestures wildly toward Steve and Bucky when he says that, bringing them into the conversation. Bucky says nothing, unsettled by the abrupt fight and unsure of what to say; Steve holds his hands up, returning his attention to his cooking. They've been witnesses to family squabbles before as a part of their job, and unless things escalate to the possibility of physical harm, they tend to stay out of the way. It doesn't look like this is going to be one of those times.

 

“You didn't come back here just to disrespect me, Tony. You are living in my house and will follow my rules. I don't think a bit of common courtesy is too much to ask in return.” Howard's voice is harsh and he clearly considers himself to be in the right. And maybe if he'd approached it in a more casual manner, it would have gone over better, but Howard's coming off as a dictator more than anything, though Bucky and Steve don't think it's his intention to do so.

 

“Maybe if you deserved it, _dad_.” Tony throws the word at him like an insult, something that Howard doesn't miss.

 

“I said that's enough!” Howard stands up abruptly and Tony flinches backward. Bucky takes a step forward, not stopping despite both men glaring at him.

 

“This needs to stop,” Bucky demands, his tone leaving no room for argument. Things have gone far enough, further than they should have in all truthfulness, and he isn't going to stand by for more of it. Even if he didn't have his personal duty to Tony as his alpha, this would be enough for anyone to step in. It's uncomfortably reminiscent of when he and Steve broke things up with Ty in the club so long ago. Well, it hadn't been too long, it just felt like it.

 

“Make me, Barnes,” Howard dares him.

 

“Only if you force me to,” he replies, deadly serious. “Tony came here because there is a terrorist who wants to reclaim him in order to dominate him to the point that he loses his independence and individuality. My team is here because we don't want that to happen, but if you keep pushing, you're going to compromise things. We'll relocate and cut you off if that is the best way to keep Tony safe.” He'd like to stay here long enough for Tony to fix at least a tiny bit of the problems facing him and his father, but Bucky's first duty is to his omega, regardless of the fact that he's ostensibly here as hired muscle and his bodyguard.

 

“I am his father!”

 

“Act like it, then. If you can do nothing but antagonise your son, he shouldn't be here.” He clearly isn't bluffing, either.

 

“Bucky,” Steve says softly. “Maybe not right now. Go check on Natasha and Clint. See if they need anything.” When Bucky hesitates, Steve glares at him. “That is an order. Now _go_.” Privately, Steve is more than okay with what Bucky just did, but he needs to make sure they're allowed to stay here and protect Tony. From Howard as well as Hydra, if they have to.

 

Even though he scowls, Bucky obeys, shoving away from the counter and stalking out of the room. Steve crosses his arms and watches him to make sure that he leaves, shaking his head once he had. Howard, by all signs, seems like he's perfectly willing to toss the whole bunch of them out onto the streets. Tony looks furious but keeps his mouth shut, clearly hoping to be able to escape without much more yelling. Steve knows that won't happen without something interrupting Howard before he can go off again, and he decides to step in.

 

“Tony,” Steve says quietly. “Go back to your room, please. I'll handle things with your father.” He uses the term intentionally, given Tony's earlier barb, and that doesn't escape anyone's notice. For a moment it looks like Tony was going to fight him, but Steve fixes him with a harsh glare and he goes as told. At the moment he has no high opinion of Steve, which all three of them know, but it beats him getting screamed at for who-knows-how-long.

 

Once the younger Stark is gone, Steve turns his glare on Howard. “That can't keep happening,” he says. “If you and Tony are constantly fighting, it's going to put stress on not only you guys but on my team. Eventually Tony is going to run off, and then all this will be for nothing.” Even if he has to play nice, he isn't going to handle Howard with kid gloves. He's old enough – and been Tony's father long enough – that he knows better.

 

“I don't need you to tell me how to raise my own son, Captain Rogers. And if you and your teammates can't stop mouthing off, I'll find a different team that can follow orders with their mouths shut. Do you understand what I'm saying?” Howard is angry and nothing good has ever come of an angry man in a position of power.

 

Steve hesitates, his stubborn fighting nature warring with his desire to keep Tony safe. “Yes, sir,” he agrees after a pause. “I'll send out a memo.” Which is a toe over the line, he realises after he's said it. Nice job he's done.

 

“Don't sass me, Rogers. And make sure you keep Barnes under control.” There's clearly no love lost between the two of them despite how little they've seen of each other, and Howard isn't going to be the one to make any moves to change that.

 

“Yes, sir,” Steve repeats, and waits until Howard is gone to scowl at the wall. There's no sense in letting the food go to waste, even though he no longer has any desire to cook, so he just waits impatiently until it's done. Bucky's not yet back, and he'd bet anything that he's talking with Natasha and Clint about his problems. Once the food is done cooking, he puts it all on a couple plates and takes it up to Tony's room.

 

“What?” Tony snaps when Steve knocked on the door. The blond pokes his head in, cautious but not possessing enough sense to leave the omega alone. “Oh. Steve.” At least Tony looks guilty about his lapse in manners, the alpha notes, not that he can really blame Tony for being irritated at the moment. If their situations had been reversed, he knows for a fact that he'd be furious.

 

“Hey,” Steve greets him, coming into his suite and holding up his offerings. “I brought the food up in case you were hungry. Otherwise I'm sure Buck will eat it.” His best friend was capable of eating any food left in his vicinity, something that Tony would definitely learn soon enough.

 

“Thanks,” Tony replies, trying a smile.

 

“So you and your dad seriously don't get along with each other. Any way we can help?” Even if Steve and his team have to be careful around Howard, they don't have to sit idly by and let Tony be treated like that in a home that's his as much as his father's. Steve has always been the kind to stick up for the underdog, and Tony falls firmly in that category considering the situations. If it wasn't for Hydra being a threat, Steve doubts any of them would have ever suggested Tony leave the apartment Steve and Bucky had.

 

“I don't think there's anything you can do. But Bucky... He's been amazing. More than I could have asked for.”

 

“And he's glad to do it. You want me to send him up or leave you alone for a little while?” Steve is clearly concerned for him and willing to stay as long as may be necessary if Tony doesn't want to be alone. But he'd bet that the omega would much rather his boyfriend be there instead of a relative stranger.

 

“Well, if he's okay coming back, then sure. I'll be fine on my own until he gets here.”

 

“Buck would be happy to come check on you. I'll call him and let him know.” Steve sets the food down on the kitchen counter, smiles at Tony, and leaves. The fact that Tony doesn't particularly want him around is clear, and Steve isn't going to fight him on it. He texts Bucky that Tony wants to see him and goes back to find where Howard had gone. Even though he detests the way Howard had acted, he's still here for a reason. And he's had worse jobs, like ones where he's actively getting shot at for most of the day.

 

Natasha and Clint exchange a look when Bucky's phone buzzes. He'd mostly been sulking and cleaning weapons, but his teammates had dragged the outline of the story out of him. Once they'd heard that Tony was okay and had gotten away from Howard, they'd been mostly quiet, leaving him to his little temper tantrum in peace. But when the notification arrives, Clint practically shoves him out the door, not that Bucky needs a lot of convincing. He makes sure to avoid Howard and Steve on the way in, and manages to make his way up to Tony's floor without encountering either of them. It's even more of a relief than usual.

 

“Tony?” he asks softly, pausing in the doorway so he won't barge in unwelcome. Just because he was asked for doesn't mean Tony hasn't changed his mind since then. Startling, the omega sits up in bed, wiping the back of his wrist across his eyes. “Oh, hey. C'mere.” He goes to Tony instantly and sits down on the bed, pulling him close and breathing in his scent. Neither of them speak for a long minute before Bucky breaks the silence with a near-whisper. “I'm sorry your dad was acting like that. I'm sorry he was such a jerk.”

 

“You shouldn't be apologising for him,” Tony mutters. He's still stiff in Bucky's arms, a marked difference from the last time they'd been in this room together.

 

“I don't care. Howard isn't about to come and own up to his mistakes. But you need to hear that you weren't wrong.” Even though Tony keeps things close to his chest, Bucky's noticed that he tends to assume the blame even if there's literally no possible way he could have been responsible for whatever happened. And in this case, there's plenty of fodder for an overactive, self-deprecating genius to berate himself over.

 

“Maybe I was,” Tony suggests.

 

“Absolutely not,” Bucky says firmly, his hold tightening around his omega on instinct. Every nerve of his body wants Tony to feel safe. “You're not allowed to think badly of yourself. Those are orders from your alpha. Gonna listen to your alpha, baby? Be a good boy for me?”

 

“Yeah,” Tony replies, leaning into his touch.

 

“Say it again for me.”

 

“Yes, sir, alpha.”

 

“That's my good boy. Come on, sweetheart. You wanna take a nap?” Bucky smiles faintly when Tony just shakes his head, pleased that he's confident enough to dissent even if he's still shaky. “Sure you're okay?”

 

“I will be.” Tony shrugs, trying to pass it off, and Bucky lets him get away with it. Dragging it out won't go well for them, he's sure, having seen far too much of that in other parts of his life to traumatise Tony even more. “I'm sorry I'm so much trouble.”

 

“No problem. You deserve it, okay? You always deserve it.” Bucky brings his hand up to brush through Tony's hair, pressing his fingertips into his scalp. “And you're so smart. Gorgeous in every way. I could never deserve you.” Tony managed to grow incredibly important to him in a really short time, enough that Bucky still double-checks the sight sometime to make sure he's not hallucinating. Somehow the attractive, intelligent omega is still present and wanting him every time, so he's started to settle into his new role and is quite pleased with it.

 

“Pretty sure I'm the one that doesn't deserve anything.”

 

“Hey, you're not allowed to think badly of yourself. Remember that?”

 

“Sorry,” Tony murmurs. He shifts closer to Bucky, who hugs him tightly, cradling the back of his head in one hand. Neither one of them have anywhere to be as long as Tony is feeling like this.

 

“You're okay.” Bucky kisses a line down his neck to his shoulders, then presses his mouth to Tony's collarbone and pauses there for a moment. The omega stays perfectly still, evidently enjoying the touch. It's common for him to be motionless under kind touch, body language similar to someone who's scared despite the pleasure he gets out of it. Bucky is still learning his signs and tells, but Tony isn't about to react negatively any time soon and Bucky is okay with that. Pulling back slightly, Bucky presses a light kiss to his lips and threads their fingers together. “I saw Steve brought the food. Wanna eat with me?”

 

“Okay,” Tony agrees, but makes no move to go. Bucky is well aware of what a thinking man looks like and just makes himself comfortable so he can wait. Sure enough, a bit of a non sequitur shows up in a minute. “I'm just so tired of him always talking like that.”

 

“Doubt he's gonna change any time soon, unfortunately. But I'm not going to leave you. No matter what.”

 

“Remember when we planned to do a fake relationship?” Tony asks, his voice tinged with uncertainty like he isn't sure what the answer will be.

 

“We were fools.” Bucky cups the other man's face in his hands and kisses him soundly. Tony is in need of far more assurance and contact than most omegas, but Bucky has more than enough affection to go around and hardly minds it. Especially not when Tony is so obviously touch-starved and desperate for whatever casual bits of Bucky's time are bestowed upon him. “Now let me feed you, huh?”

 

“Sure.” Tony makes no move to leave Bucky until the alpha nudges him into going, but he's perfectly willing to do as he's asked once they get into the kitchen area. It doesn't take them long to settle in with their food, and Bucky coaxes Tony into talking about some of the projects he wanted to start working on again. Despite the short time they've been here, it's already clear to him that the best way to relax Tony is to get him to talk about something he can't understand. He has to remind the omega to actually keep eating a few times after that, but it definitely beats having him mope around or putting all his thoughts on Howard's abusive behaviour.

 

Once they're done eating, Bucky gathers the dishes and sets about cleaning them. It takes a moment for him to find what he needs to do so, interrupted several times by the need to swat Tony's hands away. The omega doesn't often go out of his way to assist him with something non-electronic, and usually Bucky would be perfectly happy to accept it, but at the moment the alpha's focused on taking care of him instead of letting him help. He finally finishes up and maneuvers Tony into sitting down at one of the bar stools.

 

“Now what?” Tony grumbles, but both of them know he's not truly irritated in the slightest. Bucky rolls his eyes instead of answering and tugs him into slouching forward with his back to him, elbows propped on the counter. “Kinky,” the omega murmurs, wiggling around on the seat, and his alpha swats him upside the head.

 

“Just hold still,” Bucky tells him, pressing a hand against the back of his shoulder. Tony makes a quiet complaining noise at the very prospect but does so as best he can. Unless he has something to distract him, and sometimes even then, it's literally impossible for him to do that, which Bucky has found hilarious upon many a time. When Bucky starts kneading at his shoulders, though, he slumps forward with a moan, forehead pressing against the counter. Bucky laughs quietly and presses a little harder. It's not long before Tony is melted against the marbletop, groaning like something much more sensual than a shoulder rub was happening. It's honestly kind of ridiculous but Bucky is appreciative of every moment of it, knowing how precious Tony's unguarded fragility is.

 

“You're amazing,” Tony tells him, putting an arm under his cheek and evidently preparing to go to sleep right there in the middle of the kitchen. There are no circumstances under which the countertop could be comfortable, but he's evidently willing to overlook the cool, hard edges of the marble because of what Bucky's doing to help him relax.

 

“Well, thank you, darling,” he replies with a grin. He puts just enough pressure on Tony's shoulders to be noticeable and kisses the back of his head. Tony makes a disgruntled noise.

 

“'Darling' makes it sound like you're a cowboy and I should be wearing petticoats. I don't have the butt for any kind of skirts.”

 

“Apologies, baby.” Bucky kisses the base of his spine through his shirt. “Sweetheart.” Another kiss a few inches higher. “Honey.” And another, still going higher. “Genius. Charmer. Lover boy. My prince.” His lips press against Tony's hairline and he stays there for a moment before pulling back with a self-satisfied little smile.

 

“Now you're just being a flatterer.” Tony huffs under his breath, but he sounds shyly pleased rather than anything else, and Bucky fully intends to count that as a win. Especially after what happened with his father earlier, because that would still have Bucky himself angry if he spent too long thinking about it. Fortunately Tony is quite distracting, even if he isn't doing anything particularly unusual. He just has that effect on Bucky for some reason, not that either one of them are about to question it. Tony is just as happy to get attention as Bucky is to give it.

 

“For good reason.” Bucky plants his elbows on either side of Tony's ribs and leans against him, nibbling at the shell of his ear. Tony shivers and Bucky leans forward a little more, pinning his upper body against the counter just hard enough to keep him in place unless he squirms. “You're so pretty, aren't you? So beautiful for me.” He smiles as Tony hums under his breath in seeming agreement. “I really like you.”

 

“I really like you too.” Tony tilts his head to the side so he can see him, and Bucky can't resist kissing those lips. At the touch, the omega inhales sharply, but he gives as good as he gets. Bucky pulls back, panting, and rests his forehead against Tony's shoulder. He smiles at the look on the omega's face, his expression soft and private.

 

“Hi,” he whispers.

 

“Hey there,” Tony replies just as quietly, and he laughs when Bucky blows into his ear. “Cut it out, you jerk!” he exclaims, batting at Bucky's face with one hand. It's very ineffective, and Bucky just raises an eyebrow, unimpressed.

 

“You can do better than that,” he teases, trapping one of Tony's arms between their bodies and laying his hand over his other wrist. Tony squirms under him but isn't able to get free since he's devoid of both leverage and the strength to use it. “Come on, baby, you've got this.” He moves back enough that he can flip Tony onto his back, pressing back against him the moment he can. Now the omega has a little more room to squirm around, and it doesn't take long for him to get a hand free. “Good boy.”

 

“Aren't I?” Tony replies with a smirk. He leans forward and claims Bucky's mouth, not relinquishing it until he needs to breath. Bucky arches against him, panting, and his fingers are digging into his hips hard enough that he'll likely leave some kind of mark.

 

“Do you have any idea how intoxicating you are? I could stay here all day with you.” Bucky barely has any warning before Tony goes back to being aggressive, hands slipping up under the hem of his shirt to explore the skin there. Tony smiles when Bucky moans, clearly proud of his ability to get such noises from him. “God, _you_ -” He cuts himself off to kiss him, ravenous.”You're gonna get it right here on the counter if you don't behave.”

 

“I dare ya to,” Tony answers, grinning in a way that's always seemed to lead to him doing something Bucky appreciates. He shifts, presenting himself to his alpha, and one of his hands finds its way down the front of his jeans. “Or you can just let me take care of this myself, sir, cause you know I can if I want to.”

 

“Not on your life,” Bucky tells him, crowding him and nipping marks into his skin. He tugs lightly at the longer strands of Tony's hair and the omega turns his head, catches Bucky's fingers in his mouth and sucks on them. It's a very appreciated picture even if it does make his jeans uncomfortably tight in the front.

 

“Taking your time, aren't you?”

 

“You're supposed to, with a work of art.” Bucky slides his fingers out of Tony's mouth and kisses him, hard and possessive. “Take your pants off and touch yourself. I wanna see you.” He trails kisses over Tony's neck and throat as the other man obeys, hands shaking with need and adrenaline. When he takes himself in hand, his head falls back, and Bucky takes full advantage of the new expanse of skin bared to his wandering mouth. If it weren't for the fact that they didn't live alone, he'd suck and bite marks into every inch of that skin, but he keeps his ministrations light for now. There will be time enough for that once they have a place for just the two of them.

 

“More, please,” Tony begs, and Bucky smiles against his neck.

 

“Being a greedy boy? Got your own hands on you but you need more?” He slips his thumb into Tony's mouth when the omega only nods, wordless and breathing hard. “My gorgeous, beautiful boy, aren't you? Put all the stars to shame.” Tony whimpers at the praise and Bucky murmurs comfort. Since he's been asked, he's hardly planning to keep his hands to himself, among other parts of his body, and he unbuttons the front of his pants.

 

Tony cries out when Bucky slides into him, fingernails scrabbling desperately and uselessly across the countertop. He's face down, the curved edge pressing against his stomach, but Bucky's gentle enough with him that nothing hurts. Nothing has ever hurt with him, and it never will; Tony knows that the same way he knows the sun will rise every morning. It's a mix of experience, instinct, and hope. And the really nice sex that makes him moan like a whore isn't exactly a bad side effect. He reaches behind him, finds Bucky's hand, and manages to move it to the back of his head.

 

Bucky gets the idea, anchoring his fingers in Tony's hair and shoving his head forward just a little. Not enough to make it hard for him to breath, but enough to let him know who's in control and who's taking charge of things. Tony whimpers quietly, unable to form any kind of coherent sound. He's slipping into a soft, quiet place, somewhere he hasn't been in quite a while. So far Bucky hasn't seen him there, because it had never quite been home, or right, or any other of a dozen factors that kept him fully aware of his surroundings.

 

This time, however, Tony loses his senses of time and space and just starts to float. He has a dim idea that he comes, the hormones and pleasure sparkling brightly in the sky of his dream world, but it's a distant thing, like seeing fireworks from afar. Bucky comes inside him, he can tell from the feeling of it, and an unusual trill of warm pleasure flares up from the bottom of his spine. Even though it always feels different to be so intimately connected with him, and it's happened several times recently, this is the first time he's felt the effects while floating and it's a very nice kind of different.

 

Fortunately Bucky stays with him, cleaning them both up and carrying Tony to the bed. The omega is still pretty out of it, but manages to be ridiculously clingy even though he won't open his eyes. He can hear Bucky chuckling somewhere, and it's a really nice sound. In fact, Tony's going to tell him so the moment his body cooperates. Right now, however, everything is really nice and soft and warm and he's going to stay here for a little while. Bucky's arms come around him under the blankets, and Tony knows on a primal level that Bucky is safety and home and love.

 

It's the first time he's at all happy to belong to someone. Other alphas have tried to claim him, have left rough marks and rougher memories. Their hormonal dominance was not appreciated. Bucky's had his moments, but he's always been softer and sweeter than that. Always trustworthy. Which is why Tony is perfectly safe staying under for a little while, because as long as they're wrapped up together in their bed, it's impossible for anything to happen to him.

 

And Bucky, for his part, is honoured by the trust Tony's shown him by slipping into subspace while they were together. He hadn't expected it to happen so quickly, but Tony's clearly been lacking in proper partners and probably needed to go down faster than normal. It was easy to get his light, pliant body into bed. Once there, any plans he might have had disintegrated because Tony clung to him like a baby koala, refusing to let go the slightest bit.

 

So they stay in bed, their pastime obvious. Most of their clothes are flung about the kitchen, and while Bucky's wearing a t-shirt, Tony's naked and the covers over them only keep so much from the imagination. Add to that the fact that they're inseparable due to Tony clinging to him, still clearly spaced out... Well, a blind man would be able to figure out the truth.

 

Which is why it's really bad that Howard chooses to make an appearance unannounced. Looking back, Bucky doesn't even remember how he got onto the floor. Looking back, he should have known.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took way longer to show up than it should have. Sorry! Hopefully the next one will be up much quicker, especially considering the ending I gave y'all.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos, comments, and constructive criticism appreciated! Want to send a prompt/headcanon or talk? Visit me @ [my tumblr](the-star-spangled-bucky.tumblr.com)!


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